For the second year in a row, a bill is moving through the state House of Representatives that would expand the number of law enforcement officials and first responders that are eligible for compensated trauma counseling.  

The House Military Affairs and Public Safety Committee unanimously passed HB2103 Monday, which would add constables and deputy constables to the list of public safety employees, making them eligible for job-related trauma counseling under the Craig Tiger Act, passed in 2018.   

Arizona Police Association Executive Director Joe Clure said Monday that two constables attempted to apply for trauma counseling in 2022 after a shooting incident but were denied coverage under the 2018 law, instead being directed to apply for workers’ compensation.   

“There seems to be some confusion out there that constables are apparently some kind of enigma, and we want to make sure that they get their counseling,” Clure said.  

Constables in Arizona perform justice court-related activities including orders of protection, court summons and subpoenas.   

There are 26 elected constables in Maricopa County serving four-year terms in their precinct.  

“Good mental and psychological health is just as essential as good physical health,” said Arizona Constables Association President Scott Blake. “By adding constables and deputy constables as a main beneficiary to the Craig Tiger Act, it is our hope that constables and deputy constables will not have to suffer alone and will have the resources dedicated to recover from their traumatic stress event.”  

The 2018 law is named after Craig Tiger, a former Phoenix police officer who committed suicide after suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder that incurred from shooting and killing a suspect threatening other residents and police officers. Tiger also was terminated from the police department and charged with drunken driving, which also resulted from his traumatic event.   

Under the law, eligible employees are entitled to 12 visits for traumatic counseling. A licensed health care provider can expand the number of visits up to 36. Time spent in treatment is also compensated, and leave time is restored from PTSD suffered by an employee’s job.   

Last year, Gov. Katie Hobbs signed a law that added 911 dispatchers to the list of employees eligible for counseling.   

Other first responders including firefighters and police officers were already eligible. But lawmakers recognized that dispatchers often hear traumatizing events when a call comes in.   

The measure last year was introduced by Rep. Melody Hernandez, D-Tempe, a paramedic with American Medical Response, who said last year when her bill was signed that she’s also suffered from PTSD symptoms.  

The bill last year was widely supported by Republicans and Democrats, as members of the House delivered a standing ovation for the bill upon its passage and lamented that it took years after the Craig Tiger Act was signed for 911 dispatchers to also be included for coverage.  

“I really appreciate my colleagues continuing to prioritize mental health. Let’s keep up the great trend this year,” Hernandez said Monday of House Bill 2103.  

The bill must now pass the full House floor and get through the Senate before it can get to Hobbs’ desk. The measure is sponsored by Rep. Kevin Payne, R-Peoria.