WCL § 10 Updates Mental Injuries with Senate Bill S755 / Assembly Bill A1677 (2025) Effective June 4, 2025

By Rosalind Asch-Hobeck

Legislation

Governor Hochul signed legislation that updates Workers' Compensation Law (WCL) § 10, making it easier for certain employees—like police officers, firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, and emergency dispatchers—to file claims for mental injuries. Under the amendment, conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), acute stress disorder, or major depressive disorder can no longer be denied just because the stress wasn’t considered “greater than usual” for the job.

Instead, the claimant has to show that their mental injury was caused by extraordinary work-related stress from specific events directly tied to their job duties.

The law also makes it clear that these provisions do not apply to mental injuries caused by physical work-related injuries. The changes take effect June 4, 2025, and apply to all pending claims, no matter when the accident happened.

Senate Bill S6635 / Assembly Bill A5745 (2024) was an earlier attempt to update WCL § 10 regarding mental injury claims based on work-related stress. However, the S755/A1677 amendment, signed on February 14, 2025, replaced it. The provisions of S6635/A5745 are no longer in effect. For more details, check out the New York State Senate website: S755 (2025): nysenate.gov; S6635 (2024): nysenate.gov.  Assembly bills A1677 and A5745 can be found on the New York State Assembly website.

Clearing Up the Confusion

At first glance, the amendment might seem contradictory. On one hand, it removes the requirement that stress must be “greater than usual” for the job. But at the same time, it still requires proof that the stress was caused by extraordinary work-related events. Here’s what that really means:

Before the Amendment workers had to prove their stress was worse than what’s typically expected in their line of work. This made it really difficult for first responders to qualify because high-stress situations are part of the job.

After the Amendment, you can’t be denied just because stress is “part of the job.”  However, you still need to show that the stress came from an “extraordinary” event—meaning something above and beyond normal job challenges.

Why This Isn’t a Contradiction

The law no longer compares your stress to that of others in your profession.  But you still need to prove that a specific, unusual event caused your mental injury.

For example:

A paramedic responding to a severe car accident might not qualify.

A paramedic dealing with a mass casualty event or being attacked on duty could qualify.

Bottom Line

You don’t have to prove your stress was worse than what others in your field experience.

You do have to show it was caused by extraordinary work-related events.

This change makes it easier for first responders and other high-stress workers to get the help they need while still ensuring claims are tied to specific, traumatic events.