Legislature(2021 - 2022)GRUENBERG 120
04/30/2021 08:00 AM House LABOR & COMMERCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Workers' Compensation Board | |
| HB170 | |
| HB75 | |
| SB21 | |
| SB69 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 170 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 69 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 21 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 75 | TELECONFERENCED | |
SB 21-LICENSE MOBILE INTENSIVE CARE PARAMEDICS
3:16:56 PM
CO-CHAIR FIELDS announced that the next order of business would
be SENATE BILL NO. 21, "An Act relating to mobile intensive care
paramedics; relating to duties of the State Medical Board and
the Department of Health and Social Services; and providing for
an effective date."
3:17:24 PM
SETH DUGGEN, Staff, Senator Josh Revak, Alaska State
Legislature, introduced SB 21 on behalf of Senator Revak, prime
sponsor. He said that SB 21 would consolidate oversight of the
emergency medical services system under a single agency;
currently, regulation of the EMS system is split between the
State Medical Board and the Department of Health and Social
Services (DHSS). He briefly discussed the fragmented nature of
the history of Alaska's emergency medical services system and
pointed out that DHSS has the responsibility for certifying
emergency medical technicians and instructors, training, ground
ambulances, medevac services, and paramedic instructors;
paramedics, however, remain under the purview of the State
Medical Board. He said that the proposed legislation would not
change the scope of practice, license requirements, or fee
schedule for the approximately 600 paramedics licensed in
Alaska, and that medical direction would be provided by the
existing DHSS Chief Medical Officer and the EMS Medical
Director's Committee, comprised of 11 members specialized in
emergency medicine. He said that the State Emergency Medical
Services Office has a staff of six full-time positions, five of
which are required to have paramedic experience, and with its
existing data systems are ready to incorporate paramedic
licensure, it's prepared to support the change.
3:19:51 PM
The committee took an at-ease from 3:19 p.m. to 3:20 p.m.
3:20:22 PM
MR. DUGGAN presented the sectional analysis for SB 21, which
read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
Sec. 1 amends 08.64.107, State Medical
Board/Regulation of physician assistants and intensive
care paramedics, to remove regulation of paramedic
licensure from the Medical Board. (See also Sec. 8.)
Sec. 2 amends 08.64.170(a), License to practice
medicine, podiatry, or osteopathy, allowing paramedics
to practice medicine to render emergency lifesaving
service under "another law" instead of under the
Medical Board's authority. (See also Sec. 6)
Sec. 3 amends 08.64.360, Penalty for practicing
without a license or in violation of chapter, to
remove paramedics. (See also Sec. 10)
Sec. 4 amends 08.64.369(d), Health care professionals
to report certain injuries, to change paramedics
licensed under the Medical Board to those licensed
under DHSS, for health care providers who must report
certain injuries to the Department of Public Safety.
Sec. 5 amends 12.55.185(11), Sentencing and Probation,
to change paramedics licensed under the Medical Board
to those licensed under DHSS.
Sec. 6 amends 18.08.075, Authority of emergency
medical technician, to allow paramedics to provide
emergency medical care. (See also Sec. 2.)
Sec. 7 amends 18.08.080, Emergency Medical
Services/Regulation, to require DHSS to adopt
regulations establishing standards for paramedic
licenses.
Sec. 8 adds a new subsection 18.08.082(a)(5), Issuance
of certificates; designations, to add regulation of
paramedic licensure to DHSS. (See also Sec. 1.)
Sec. 9 amends 18.08.082(b), Issuance of certificates;
designations, to clarify that DHSS is the central
certifying and licensing agency for all emergency
medical services.
Sec. 10 amends 18.08.084(a), Certificate required, to
prohibit a person from practicing as a paramedic
without a license. (See also Sec. 3.)
Sec. 11 amends 18.08.086(a), Immunity from liability,
adding license because they are certified. This means
it provides immunity in 08.02, which includes
paramedics. They are not liable for civil damages
unless it's gross negligence.
Sec. 12 18.08.089(a) is amended to allow a paramedic
to pronounce someone's death if the paramedic falls
under one of the three categories.
Sec. 13 adds a new paragraph (14) to 18.08.200,
Emergency Medical Services/Definitions, to add the
definition of "mobile intensive care paramedic". (See
also Sec. 14.)
Sec. 14 Amends 29.45.050(r) to include mobile
intensive care paramedics in a municipal property tax
exemption. Emergency Medical Services are already
under this, this section just clarifies Mobile
Intensive Care Paramedics.
Sec. 15 amends 37.05.146(c)(77)(F), Definition of
program receipts and non-general fund program
receipts, to add fees for licensure of paramedics to
the list of fees collected by DHSS.
Sec. 16 repeals 08.64.366, Liability for services
rendered by a mobile intensive care paramedic (See
18.08.086, Immunity from liability, under DHSS).
Repeals 08.64.380, Medicine/Definitions to remove (3)
"emergency lifesaving service" and (4) "mobile
intensive care paramedic" (See also Sec. 12).
Sec. 17 amends the uncodified law to provide
transitional authorities:
(a) A current paramedic license issued before
January 1, 2021 remains valid until it expires under
the Medical Board, is suspended or revoked, or is
converted to a license under DHSS.
(b) The Department of Commerce, Community and
Economic Development and the Medical Board will
transfer to DHSS on January 1, 2021, files of all
pending paramedic-related records and proceedings,
applications, and disciplinary actions.
(c) Authority for DHSS to adopt regulations which
shall include the conversion of unexpired paramedic
licenses issued under the Medical Board.
Sec. 18 provides an immediate effective date for DHSS
to adopt regulations.
Sec. 19 provides an effective date of January 1, 2022.
3:22:34 PM
CO-CHAIR FIELDS announced that SB 21 was held over.