The legislature's Insurance Committee Thursday heard support for a bill which would expand Workers' Compensation coverage to police who suffer mental or emotional impairment due to witnessing the death or maiming of a person caused by another person.

Connecticut is one of 15 states which does not allow workers comp for mental injuries alone.  Senate President Martin Looney says current requirements are arbitrary that compensation for a mental injury has to be accompanied by a physical component.

Union official Eric Brown, who represented Newtown Police Officers on the day of the shootings at Sandy Hook School, says many of the officers only had 15 days of sick time available to them and didn't have any way of getting paid while they took time to rehabilitate themselves.

He says it really matters in these situations because many of the officers were not prepared or ready to go back to work right after 12-14.  He noted that they needed time to get treatment and get their minds straight.