CSHB 70(L&C): "An Act relating to emergency medical services for operational canines; relating to the powers, duties, and liability of emergency medical technicians and mobile intensive care paramedics; relating to the practice of veterinary medicine; and providing for an effective date."
00 CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 70(L&C) 01 "An Act relating to emergency medical services for operational canines; relating to the 02 powers, duties, and liability of emergency medical technicians and mobile intensive care 03 paramedics; relating to the practice of veterinary medicine; and providing for an 04 effective date." 05 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 06 * Section 1. AS 08.98.120(a) is amended to read: 07 (a) A person may not practice veterinary medicine, surgery, or dentistry unless 08 the person is licensed as a veterinarian under this chapter or has a temporary permit 09 issued under AS 08.98.186, except that a person may perform [FUNCTIONS 10 AUTHORIZED BY] 11 (1) functions authorized by regulation of the board if the person is 12 licensed as a veterinary technician; [OR] 13 (2) functions authorized by a permit issued under AS 08.02.050 if the 14 person is employed by an agency that has a permit issued under AS 08.02.050; or
01 (3) emergency medical services on an operational canine under 02 AS 18.08.093 if the person is certified as an emergency medical technician or 03 licensed as a mobile intensive care paramedic. 04 * Sec. 2. AS 18.08.075(a) is amended to read: 05 (a) An emergency medical technician or mobile intensive care paramedic who 06 responds to an emergency with an ambulance service or first responder service, who 07 has in the technician's or mobile intensive care paramedic's possession a current 08 emergency medical technician or mobile intensive care paramedic identification card, 09 and who provides emergency medical care or other emergency medical service, has 10 the authority to 11 (1) control and direct activities at the accident site or emergency until 12 the arrival of law enforcement personnel; 13 (2) order a person other than the owner to leave a building or place in 14 the vicinity of the accident or other emergency for the purpose of protecting the person 15 from injury; 16 (3) temporarily block a public highway, street, or private right-of-way 17 while at the scene of an accident, illness, or emergency; 18 (4) trespass on [UPON] property at or near the scene of an accident, 19 illness, or emergency at any time of day or night; 20 (5) enter a building, including a private dwelling, or premises where a 21 report of an injury or illness has taken place or where there is a reasonable cause to 22 believe an individual or operational canine has been injured or is ill to render 23 emergency medical care; and 24 (6) direct the removal or destruction of a motor vehicle or other thing 25 that the emergency medical technician or mobile intensive care paramedic determines 26 is necessary to prevent further harm to injured or ill individuals or operational 27 canines. 28 * Sec. 3. AS 18.08.082(a) is amended to read: 29 (a) The department shall prescribe by regulation a course of training or other 30 requirements prerequisite to the issuance of certificates or licenses that provide for the 31 following:
01 (1) certification of a person who meets the training and other 02 requirements as an emergency medical technician, emergency medical technician 03 instructor, or emergency medical dispatcher; 04 (2) authorization for an emergency medical technician certified under 05 this chapter to provide under the written or oral direction of a physician the advanced 06 life support services enumerated on the certificate or enumerated on a written 07 document filed with the department by the technician's medical director and approved 08 by the department under its regulations; 09 (3) certification that a person, organization, or government agency that 10 provides an emergency medical service, conducts a training course for a mobile 11 intensive care paramedic, or represents itself as a trauma center meets the minimum 12 standards prescribed by the department for that service, course, or designation; 13 (4) authorization for an emergency medical service certified under this 14 chapter to provide under the written or oral direction of a physician the advanced life 15 support services enumerated on the certificate or enumerated on a written document 16 filed with the department by the medical director for the emergency medical service 17 and approved by the department under its regulations; [AND] 18 (5) licensure of a mobile intensive care paramedic and the medical 19 services that a mobile intensive care paramedic may perform, including the 20 (A) educational and other qualifications, which may include 21 education in pain management and opioid use and addiction; 22 (B) application and licensing procedures; 23 (C) scope of activities authorized; and 24 (D) responsibilities of a supervising or training physician; and 25 (6) authorization for an emergency medical technician certified 26 under this chapter or mobile intensive care paramedic licensed under this 27 chapter to provide to operational canines the emergency medical services 28 enumerated on a written document filed with the department by the medical 29 director and approved by the department in regulation. 30 * Sec. 4. AS 18.08.086(a) is amended to read: 31 (a) A person certified or licensed under AS 18.08.082 who administers
01 emergency medical services to an injured or sick person or who, under AS 18.08.093, 02 administers emergency medical services to an operational canine, a person or 03 public agency that employs, sponsors, directs, or controls the activities of persons 04 certified or licensed under AS 18.08.082 who administer emergency medical services 05 to an injured or sick person or who, under AS 18.08.093, administer emergency 06 medical services to an operational canine, or a health care professional or 07 emergency medical dispatcher acting within the scope of the person's certification or 08 licensure who directs or advises a person to administer emergency medical services to 09 an injured or sick person is not liable for civil damages as a result of an act or 10 omission in administering those services or giving that advice or those directions if the 11 administering, advising, and directing are done in good faith and the injured or sick 12 person or operational canine reasonably seems to be in immediate danger of serious 13 harm or death. This subsection does not preclude liability for civil damages that are 14 the proximate result of gross negligence or intentional misconduct, nor preclude 15 imposition of liability on a person or public agency that employs, sponsors, directs, or 16 controls the activities of persons certified or licensed under AS 18.08.082 if the act or 17 omission is a proximate result of a breach of duty to act created under this chapter. In 18 this subsection, "gross negligence" means reckless, wilful, or wanton misconduct. 19 * Sec. 5. AS 18.08.087 is amended to read: 20 Sec. 18.08.087. Disclosure of medical records. When requested for the 21 purpose of evaluating the performance of an emergency medical technician, mobile 22 intensive care paramedic, or physician who provided emergency medical care or other 23 assistance to a sick or injured person, a licensed physician, advanced practice 24 registered nurse, or physician assistant may disclose to an emergency medical 25 technician, [A] mobile intensive care paramedic, or physician the medical or hospital 26 records of a sick or injured person to whom the paramedic, technician, or physician is 27 providing or has rendered emergency medical care or assistance. [HOWEVER, THE 28 DISCLOSING PHYSICIAN, ADVANCED PRACTICE REGISTERED NURSE, OR 29 PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT SHALL LIMIT DISCLOSURE UNDER THIS SECTION 30 TO THE RECORDS THAT ARE CONSIDERED NECESSARY BY THE 31 DISCLOSER FOR EVALUATION OF THE PARAMEDIC'S, TECHNICIAN'S, OR
01 PHYSICIAN'S PERFORMANCE IN PROVIDING THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL 02 CARE OR ASSISTANCE. A MOBILE INTENSIVE CARE PARAMEDIC, 03 EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE TECHNICIAN, OR PHYSICIAN TO WHOM 04 CONFIDENTIAL RECORDS ARE DISCLOSED UNDER THIS SECTION MAY 05 NOT FURTHER DISCLOSE THE INFORMATION TO A PERSON NOT 06 ENTITLED TO RECEIVE THAT INFORMATION UNDER THIS SECTION OR 07 ANOTHER LAW.] 08 * Sec. 6. AS 18.08.087 is amended by adding new subsections to read: 09 (b) When requested for the purpose of evaluating the performance of an 10 emergency medical technician or mobile intensive care paramedic who provided 11 emergency medical care or other assistance to a sick or injured operational canine, a 12 licensed veterinarian may disclose to an emergency medical technician or mobile 13 intensive care paramedic the medical or hospital records of a sick or injured 14 operational canine to whom the technician or paramedic is providing or has rendered 15 emergency medical care or assistance. 16 (c) An individual making a disclosure under this section shall limit the 17 disclosure to the records that are considered necessary by the discloser for evaluation 18 of the technician's, paramedic's, or physician's performance in providing the 19 emergency medical care or assistance. An emergency medical care technician, mobile 20 intensive care paramedic, physician, or veterinarian to whom confidential records are 21 disclosed under this section may not further disclose the information to a person not 22 entitled to receive that information under this section or another law. 23 * Sec. 7. AS 18.08 is amended by adding a new section to read: 24 Sec. 18.08.093. Emergency medical services for operational canines. (a) An 25 emergency medical technician or mobile intensive care paramedic may provide 26 emergency medical services to an operational canine if the emergency medical 27 technician or mobile intensive care paramedic 28 (1) reasonably determines that there is an immediate danger of serious 29 harm to or death of the operational canine and that a veterinarian is unavailable to 30 provide emergency medical services to the operational canine soon enough to address 31 the danger;
01 (2) is authorized to provide the emergency medical services to an 02 operational canine under AS 18.08.082(a)(6); and 03 (3) meets at least one of the following requirements: 04 (A) the emergency medical technician or mobile intensive care 05 paramedic has obtained informed consent from the owner of the operational 06 canine or a person authorized to make medical decisions about the operational 07 canine; 08 (B) the emergency medical technician or mobile intensive care 09 paramedic is employed by the governmental agency that owns or has authority 10 to make medical decisions about the operational canine; or 11 (C) the emergency medical technician or mobile intensive care 12 paramedic provides the emergency medical service in accordance with a 13 written protocol developed and approved by a veterinarian. 14 (b) An emergency medical technician or mobile intensive care paramedic who 15 provides an emergency medical service to an operational canine under (a) of this 16 section shall transfer the operational canine to a licensed veterinarian at the earliest 17 practicable opportunity. 18 * Sec. 8. AS 18.08.200 is amended by adding new paragraphs to read: 19 (15) "operational canine" means a dog used 20 (A) by law enforcement or other government agencies; or 21 (B) in search and rescue operations; 22 (16) "veterinarian" means a veterinarian licensed under AS 08.98. 23 * Sec. 9. This Act takes effect January 1, 2026.