1. (a) As used in this Section:

   "First responders" means firefighters, emergency medical services personnel, as that term is defined in Section 3.5 of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act, dispatched pursuant to a 9-1-1 call, emergency medical dispatchers, as that term is defined in Section 3.70 of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act, and public safety telecommunicators, as that term is defined in Section 2 of the Emergency Telephone System Act.

   "Mental health counseling" means counseling therapy sessions provided by a clinical social worker, professional counselor, or licensed psychologist.

2. (b) If a fire protection district is a self-insurer for purposes of providing health insurance coverage for its employees, the insurance coverage shall include, on and after June 1, 2025, mental health counseling for any employee who is a first responder without imposing a deductible, coinsurance, copayment, or any other cost-sharing requirement on the coverage provided, except that this Section does not apply to the extent such coverage would disqualify a high-deductible health plan from eligibility for a health savings account pursuant to Section 223 of the Internal Revenue Code.

(Source: P.A. 103-1011, eff. 1-1-25; 104-417, eff. 8-15-25.)