State Sen. Jeremy Cooney and members of the New York State Troopers Police Benevolent Association came together on Monday to push for a first-in-the-nation State Police mental health leave bill.

Legislation passed during this year's session would provide up to 20 days of paid leave for troopers involved in use-of-force incidents that result in serious injury or death and up to 15 days for those indirectly impacted.

The goal of the policy is to reduce the stigma around mental health and give officers the time they need to recover before returning to duty.

Union members say post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) rates are double for law enforcement officers as compared to regular civilians, and they face on average more than 170 traumatic experiences during their career.

In the last 20 years, the PBA says trooper retirements have surged more than 500%.

“Every day our Troopers show unwavering resolve and professionalism as they bravely risk their physical and mental health to honor their commitment to public service,” New York State Troopers PBA President Charles W. Murphy said in a statement. “We must ensure they have access to services that will aid in their recovery, without fear they will face retaliation or be stigmatized for looking after their own mental health.”

“Our New York State Troopers are putting their lives on the line every day to keep our communities safe, inevitably leading to situations that can leave a physical and mental toll on our officers,” Cooney said in a statement. “In New York, we owe it to these officers to make sure they’re taken care of and given the space they need to recover from these critical incidents.

The group is now asking Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign the bill into law.