Rep. Brennan Celebrates Passage of Sub HB 184 Securing $40M for First Responder PTSI Support - Dedicated to the Memory of Kandice Straub
COLUMBUS — State Rep. Sean Patrick Brennan (D-Parma) today celebrated today’s passage of House Bill (HB) 184, which allocates $40M to support first responders battling Post-Traumatic Stress Injuries (PTSI). The legislation represents a critical advancement in ensuring that firefighters, police officers, EMTs and dispatchers can access PTSI benefits without being required to demonstrate a physical injury once the general assembly passes legislation to accept claims and distribute the funds.
Since joining the General Assembly nearly three years ago, Rep. Brennan has championed this issue alongside public safety organizations across Ohio. As ranking member of the House Public Pensions & Insurance Committee, he was at the forefront of reforming how mental-health traumas in the line of duty are handled by our system.
“For too long, first responders have told us their bodies might leave the scene of an incident - but their minds stay behind,” said Rep. Brennan. “PTSI is very real. It can carry as much weight as any broken bone, and it doesn’t always come with visible scars. Today, with HB 184, the Ohio General Assembly finally recognized that reality - and acted on it.”
Rep. Brennan emphasized that this legislation has deep personal meaning for him, both because of his father-in-law’s service as a firefighter, and because of the tragic loss of Officer Kandice Straub of the Parma Police Department. Officer Straub joined the department in December 2019 and made history as its first female SWAT team member.
“The loss of Kandice Straub broke hearts across our state - and it should have galvanized all of us to act,” continued Rep. Brennan. “Too many first responders suffer in silence, too many families grieve alone. In Kandice’s memory, and on behalf of every firefighter, police officer, EMT and dispatcher who has borne trauma without support, I am personally calling this legislation the The Kandice Straub First Responder PTSI Support Act. Her legacy demands nothing less than meaningful, permanent change.”
The $40M included in HB 184 will provide the base for treatment and support for PTSI sustained in the line of duty once the General Assembly acts to create a plan go directly toward treatment, claims processing, and other support for PTSI sustained in the line of duty — we must remove the barrier of proving a physical injury and recognize the psychological injuries that result from service.
“Our first responders run toward danger when others run away,” said Rep. Brennan. “Today, the Ohio legislature ran toward them. This isn’t the end of our work — but it’s an important step forward, and one I’ve been honored to fight for every day of my service in the General Assembly.”
HB 184 now goes to the governor for final approval.