---
type: "Bill"
title: "establishing a commission to study the incidence of post traumatic stress disorder in first responders and whether such disorder should be covered under workers' compensation."
description: "establishing a commission to study the incidence of post traumatic stress disorder in first responders and whether such disorder should be covered under workers' compensation."
jurisdiction: "us/states/nh"
legislature: "New Hampshire General Court"
session: "2018"
identifier: "SB 553"
citation: "New Hampshire SB 553 (2018)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Martha S. Hennessey"]
version_count: 2
action_count: 33
vote_count: 1
first_action: "2018-01-09"
last_action: "2018-06-18"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/c00b2239-2441-4c9d-9ffb-7eabd9945f21"
source_url: "http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_Status/bill_status.aspx?lsr=2880&sy=2018&sortoption=&txtsessionyear=2018"
source_hash: "fee9add7193a8808d4e9ac315fc00aa157fd83fa3647e30d6d8ce591ca3b82b8"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-nh"]
---

# New Hampshire SB 553 (2018) — establishing a commission to study the incidence of post traumatic stress disorder in first responders and whether such disorder should be covered under workers' compensation.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Amendment #2018-1960e** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_status/billText.aspx?sy=2018&id=2018-1960e&txtFormat=amend)
2. **latest version** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_status/billText.aspx?sy=2018&id=1896&txtFormat=html)

## Votes

- OTPA — **214–125** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Martha S. Hennessey — primary (person)
- Bette R Lasky — cosponsor (person)
- David H Watters — cosponsor (person)
- Donna M. Soucy — cosponsor (person)
- Jeb Bradley — cosponsor (person)
- Jeff Woodburn — cosponsor (person)
- Kevin Cavanaugh — cosponsor (person)
- Lou D'Allesandro — cosponsor (person)
- Mark L. Proulx — cosponsor (person)
- Martha Fuller Clark — cosponsor (person)
- Michael J.. McCarthy — cosponsor (person)
- Robert J. Elliott — cosponsor (person)
- Sharon M Carson — cosponsor (person)
- Stephen J. Shurtleff — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2018-01-09** Introduced 01/03/2018 and Referred to Commerce; SJ 2 `introduction, referral-committee`
- **2018-01-16** Hearing: 01/23/2018, Room 100, SH, 01:45 pm; SC 4
- **2018-03-06** Committee Report: Referred to Interim Study, 03/08/2018; SC 10A
- **2018-03-08** Special Order to the next session, Without Objection, MA; 03/08/2018; SJ 6
- **2018-03-08** Committee Report: Referred to Interim Study, 03/14/2018; SC 11
- **2018-03-14** Special Order to 03/15/2018, Without Objection, MA; 03/14/2018 SJ 7
- **2018-03-14** Committee Report: Referred to Interim Study, 03/15/2018;
- **2018-03-15** Refer to Interim Study, MF, VV; 03/15/2018; SJ 8
- **2018-03-15** Sen. Bradley Moved Ought to Pass; 03/15/2018; SJ 8 `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2018-03-15** Sen. Bradley Floor Amendment # 2018-1116s, AA, VV; 03/15/2018; SJ 8
- **2018-03-15** Ought to Pass with Amendment 2018-1116s, MA, VV; Refer to Finance Rule 4-5; 03/15/2018; SJ 8 `passage`
- **2018-03-15** Sen. Daniels Waived Referral to Finance; 03/15/2018; SJ 8
- **2018-03-15** OT3rdg; 03/08/2018; SJ 8
- **2018-03-20** Introduced 03/15/2018 and referred to Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services HJ 8 P. 71 `introduction, referral-committee`
- **2018-03-20** Public Hearing: 03/28/2018 01:00 PM LOB 307
- **2018-03-20** ==CANCELLED== Executive Session: 04/04/2018 10:00 AM LOB 307
- **2018-03-29** ==RESCHEDULED== Executive Session: 04/04/2018 10:30 AM LOB 307
- **2018-04-11** Majority Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2018-1347h for 04/19/2018 (Vote 11-9; RC) HC 15 P. 13 `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2018-04-11** Minority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate
- **2018-04-19** Amendment # 2018-1347h: AA VV 04/19/2018 HJ 13 P. 23
- **2018-04-19** Ought to Pass with Amendment 1347h: MA RC 214-125 04/19/2018 HJ 13 P. 23 `passage`
- **2018-04-26** Sen. French Moved Nonconcur with the House Amendment; Requests C of C, MA, VV; 04/26/2018; SJ 14
- **2018-04-26** President Appoints: Senators Innis, French, Soucy; 04/26/2018; SJ 14
- **2018-05-02** Sen. Soucy Moved to Reconsider the vote on Nonconcur with the House Amendment and Request a C of C, MA, VV; 05/02/2018; SJ 15
- **2018-05-02** Reconsideration will be taken up at the appropriate time; 05/02/2018; SJ 15
- **2018-05-02** Sen. Innis Moved to Concur with the House Amendment, MA, VV; 05/02/2018; SJ 15
- **2018-05-15** Enrolled Bill Amendment # 2018-1960e: AA VV 05/10/2018
- **2018-05-15** Enrolled Bill Amendment # 2018-1960e Adopted, VV, (In recess of 05/10/2018); SJ 18
- **2018-05-22** Enrolled (In recess 05/10/2018); SJ 18
- **2018-05-23** Enrolled 05/10/2018
- **2018-06-18** Signed by the Governor on 06/12/2018; Chapter 0261 `executive-signature`
- **2018-06-18** I. Section 2 Effective 11/01/2018
- **2018-06-18** II. Remainder shall take effect 06/12/2018

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/c00b2239-2441-4c9d-9ffb-7eabd9945f21`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official New Hampshire legislature records).