AB 1544

Bill Subjects

Abstract

(1) Existing law, the Emergency Medical Services System and the Prehospital Emergency Medical Care Personnel Act, governs local emergency medical services (EMS) systems. The existing act establishes the Emergency Medical Services Authority, which is responsible for the coordination and integration of EMS systems. Among other duties, existing law requires the authority to develop planning and implementation guidelines for EMS systems, provide technical assistance to existing agencies, counties, and cities for the purpose of developing the components of EMS systems, and receive plans for the implementation of EMS and trauma care systems from local EMS agencies. Existing law makes a violation of the act or regulations adopted pursuant to the act punishable as a misdemeanor. This bill would establish within the act until January 1, 2024, the Community Paramedicine or Triage to Alternate Destination Act of 2020. The bill would authorize a local EMS agency to develop a community paramedicine or triage to alternate destination program, as defined, to provide specified community paramedicine services. The bill would require the authority to develop, and after approval by the Commission on Emergency Medical Services, adopt regulations and establish minimum standards for the development of those programs. The bill would require the director of the authority, on or before March 1, 2021, to establish a community paramedicine and triage to alternate destination oversight advisory committee to advise the authority on the development and oversight of specialties for those programs. The bill would require the authority to review a local EMS agency's proposed program and approve or deny the proposed program no later than 6 months after it is submitted by the local EMS agency. The bill would require a local EMS agency that opts to develop a program to perform specified duties that include, among others, integrating the proposed program into the local EMS agency's EMS plan. The bill would require the Emergency Medical Services Authority to submit an annual report on the community paramedicine or triage to alternate destination programs operating in California to the Legislature, as specified. The bill would also require the authority to contract with an independent 3rd party to prepare a final report on the results of the community paramedicine or triage to alternate destination programs on or before April 1, 2023, as specified. The bill would prohibit a person or organization from providing community paramedicine or triage to alternate destination services or representing, advertising, or otherwise implying that it is authorized to provide those services unless it is expressly authorized by a local EMS agency to provide those services as part of a program approved by the authority. The bill would also prohibit a community paramedic or a triage paramedic from providing their respective services unless the community paramedic or triage paramedic has been certified and accredited to perform those services and is working as an employee of an authorized provider. Because a violation of the act described above is punishable as a misdemeanor, and because this bill would create new requirements within the act, the bill would expand an existing crime, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law authorizes a county to establish an emergency medical care committee and requires the committee, at least annually, to review the operations of ambulance services operating within the county, emergency medical care offered within the county, and first aid practices in the county. Existing law requires the county board of supervisors to prescribe the membership, and appoint the members, of the committee. This bill would, if the county elects to develop a community paramedicine or triage to alternate destination program, require the committee to be established, if one is not already established, to include additional members, as specified, and to advise the local EMS agency on the development of its community paramedicine or triage to alternate destination program. The bill would specifically require the mayor of a city and county to appoint the membership. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2024. (3) Existing law establishes the Commission on Emergency Medical Services with 18 members. The commission, among other things, reviews and approves regulations, standards, and guidelines developed by the authority. This bill would increase the membership of the commission to 19 members and modify the entities that submit names for appointment to the commission by the Governor, the Senate Committee on Rules, and the Speaker of the Assembly. (4) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.