Pappas Pushes for Workers Comp Benefits for COVID-19 Afflicted First Responders

ITASCA, Ill. – As part of her efforts to support first responders, state Rep. Diane Pappas, D-Itasca, voted to pass new protections for police and firefighters who have contracted COVID-19.

“The brave men and women who serve as Illinois first responders deserve our gratitude, but more than that, they deserve our assistance,” Pappas said. “In this difficult time, police officers, firefighters and other first responders have been risking their lives to keep us safe and help limit the spread of COVID-19. If they catch this disease while working for their communities, they deserve the benefits they have done more than enough to earn.”

Pappas voted to pass House Bill 2455, which expands workers compensation benefits for first responders who have lost their lives in the line of duty to include all those who have contracted COVID-19. This legislation was the result of an agreement between representatives of business and labor interests to give Illinoisans combatting this disease on the front lines the financial aid they need without putting an undo burden on the Illinois economy. The bill passed the legislature with unanimous bipartisan support.

“I am committed to securing financial stability for everyone in our community who has been hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Pappas said. “As Illinois continues to overcome the effects of this disease,
it is critical we provide support to those who have put their safety on the line for our wellbeing. Nobody afflicted by the pandemic should be thinking about financial challenges while they recover. I urge the governor to sign this legislation into law immediately.”