LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Firefighters, police officers, county sheriffs and other first responders could get more access to services to help them deal with traumatic experiences under a bill Nebraska lawmakers advanced Wednesday.
The bill won first-round approval in the Legislature on a 42-0 vote.
The proposal would require the state to offer reimbursement for counseling for first responders with post-traumatic stress disorder. It was introduced by state Sen. Tom Brewer, of Gordon, a combat veteran who was shot six times during a firefight with the Taliban in 2003.
Brewer said the bill is an important step to prevent suicides.
The bill could cost the state between $442,000 and $1.7 million a year, according to estimates from the Legislature's Fiscal Office.
Two additional votes are required before the bill goes to the governor.