State/County - Bensalem Township
Passage of Bill to Include PTSI in Workers’ Compensation for Emergency Responders was Passion Project for State Rep
State Rep. Jennifer O’Mara’s father was a Philadelphia firefighter who shortly after returning home from a shift died by suicide and that’s why when she heard Pennsylvania first responders were not entitled to worker’s compensation for on-the-job post-traumatic stress injuries, it was personal for her.
She authored the bill, which passed the House in May, and which provides Workers’ Compensation coverage to emergency responders who sustain post-traumatic stress injuries (PTSI) in the line of duty. It passed its final hurdle last week and will be sent to Governor Shapiro this week.
Getting the legislation passed has been a passion project for O’Mara.
“In the aftermath of suicide, we’re haunted not just by the loss, but by the silence of what might have been prevented,” said O’Mara, D-Delaware. “That feeling has driven me to see this legislation through, so that it can majorly reduce harm to our emergency-responder community in Pennsylvania.”
O’Mara’s bill language from her H.B. 1632 was amended into S.B. 365, passed last week, and heads to Gov. Josh Shapiro for his signature into law.
An estimated 30% of emergency responders develop behavioral health conditions, including depression and PTSI.
“While individuals in many other professions can already qualify for Workers’ Compensation for a mental-mental injury like PTSI, Pennsylvania Supreme Court determined first responders do not qualify because witnessing tragedy after tragedy is part of their normal working conditions,” O’Mara said. “But nothing about what first responders experience during an emergency is normal, and this legislation corrects an injustice to allow them to get the mental health resources they need.”
Specifically, the bill removes the abnormal working condition requirement for emergency responders to collect Workers’ Compensation for PTSI treatment. Emergency responders would have to be diagnosed by a licensed psychiatrist or psychologist.
“PTSI care can save an emergency responder’s life, and covering PTSI under Workers’ Compensation will help protect their livelihoods while allowing them to continue serving our communities,” O’Mara said. “First responders care for us during our most vulnerable moments; it is our duty to support them during theirs.”
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In only its second year, Bucks County Community College (BCCC) picked up another medal at the prestigious horticultural expo for its ‘Rooted in Art’ tribute to Stella Elkins Tyler.
BCCC’s floral design program has once again taken home a prize in only its second year participating in the Philadelphia Flower Show. Students, alumni, and instructors earned a bronze medal for “Rooted in Art,” reflecting the College’s origins of being founded on the Newtown estate of artist and educational philanthropist Stella Elkins Tyler. The exhibit features Tyler’s sculpture “Joan of Arc at Orleans,” donated to the College by Carol Tyler, who visited the show with College President & CEO Dr. Patrick M. Jones (Feature Pic). The College was founded on the Tyler estate in Newtown more than 60 years ago. The exhibit features seven original floral designs, each interpreting the connection between nature, art, and education, alongside six selected student works from the College’s School of Arts and Communication.
Credit: BCCC
A team of 20 students, alumni, and instructors from BCCC’s floral design program helped install “Rooted in Art” at the Philadelphia Flower Show, which reflects the College’s origins of being founded on the Newtown estate of artist and educational philanthropist Stella Elkins Tyler. The exhibit features one of Tyler’s original bronze sculptures, “Joan of Arc at Orleans,” pictured in the background.
Credit: BCCC
Melanie Poff (left) and her mother Els Poff, both Certified Floral Designers from Doylestown and students in BCCC’s floral design program, helped surround “Joan of Arc at Orleans” by Stella Elkins Tyler with botanical beauty at the Philadelphia Flower Show. The sculpture is part of the “Rooted in Art” exhibit, reflecting the deep connection between art, education, and nature that Stella Elkins Tyler championed throughout her life.
Credit: BCCC
Amparito Arriaga, a Certified Floral Designer from Exton and a student in BCCC’s floral design program, installs part of the “Rooted in Art” exhibit at the Philadelphia Flower Show. The exhibit features seven original floral designs, each interpreting the connection between nature, art, and education, alongside six selected student works from the College’s School of Arts and Communication.
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