SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham led two initiatives to expand family counseling services and disability benefits for first responders that were signed into law on Friday. 

“These laws recognize the job-related stress that first responders have to deal with,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “Many first responders will no longer have to worry if their department will cover family counseling services.”

House Bill 4460 requires every self-insured county and municipality to provide coverage for marriage and couples counseling for firefighters and police officers. Coverage for marriage or couples counseling has not been required in insurance plans for first responders because it had not been considered a diagnosable mental health condition.

House Bill 5104 expands the net of police officers, firefighters and paramedics who can receive benefits after becoming disabled due to contracting COVID-19 on the job. This law is an expansion of a law Cunningham led last year to grant disability pension benefits to Chicago first responders who contracted COVID-19 before vaccines were available. 

“We are ensuring that first responders who are unable to return to work because of COVID-19 receive proper benefits that reflect their service and protection of our community,” Cunningham said.

House Bill 4460 takes effect Jan. 1 and House Bill 5104 takes effect immediately.