SPONSOR: Adams
This bill moves oversight authority for licensed EMTs from the Department of Health and Senior Services to the Division of Professional Registration, within the Department of Commerce and Insurance. The bill requires the Division to renew an EMT license for five years if the licensee meets the specified requirements.
The bill authorizes the Division to grant a six-month temporary EMT license and if an EMT allows his or her EMT license to lapse, he or she shall automatically be granted a temporary EMT license. If the licensee meets the requirements specified in the bill, he or she will then be issued a new five year EMT license.
The bill also repeals a current requirement that an ambulance service submit a letter of endorsement to be considered for a new ambulance service license.
The bill replaces the term "emergency medical technician-paramedic" with the term "paramedic". After August 27, 2029, for a paramedic to obtain an initial license, he or she must successfully complete a two-year paramedic degree program from an institution of higher eduction. Instructors for such programs must have a bachelor's degree or higher.
The bill requires every first responder agency to provide critical incident counseling services for all of its employees at the agency's expense.
The bill states that an emergency medical technician-basic or an advanced emergency medical technician will be considered the equivalent of a certified nursing assistant for the purposes of meeting any staffing requirements for hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, abortion facilities, and nursing homes. Such entities must pay employees who are emergency medical technician- basics or advanced emergency medical technicians on the same pay scale it uses for employees who are certified nursing assistants. The bill further states that a paramedic will be considered the equivalent of a licensed registered nurse for the purposes of meeting any staffing requirements for hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, abortion facilities, or nursing homes. Such entities must pay employees who are paramedics on the same pay scale it uses for employees who are licensed registered nurses.
This bill is similar to HB 141 (2023).
Statutes affected: