HF 4849

as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 03/11/2024 02:15pm

A bill for an act
relating to health; providing for variances to basic life support ambulance staffing
requirements under certain emergency circumstances; amending Minnesota Statutes
2022, section 144E.101, by adding a subdivision; Minnesota Statutes 2023
Supplement, section 144E.101, subdivision 6.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2023 Supplement, section 144E.101, subdivision 6, is
amended to read:

Subd. 6.

Basic life support.

(a) Except as provided in deleted text begin paragraph (f) deleted text end new text begin subdivision 6a new text end , a
basic life-support ambulance shall be staffed by at least two EMTs, one of whom must
accompany the patient and provide a level of care so as to ensure that:

(1) life-threatening situations and potentially serious injuries are recognized;

(2) patients are protected from additional hazards;

(3) basic treatment to reduce the seriousness of emergency situations is administered;
and

(4) patients are transported to an appropriate medical facility for treatment.

(b) A basic life-support service shall provide basic airway management.

(c) A basic life-support service shall provide automatic defibrillation.

(d) A basic life-support service shall administer opiate antagonists consistent with
protocols established by the service's medical director.

(e) A basic life-support service licensee's medical director may authorize ambulance
service personnel to perform intravenous infusion and use equipment that is within the
licensure level of the ambulance service. Ambulance service personnel must be properly
trained. Documentation of authorization for use, guidelines for use, continuing education,
and skill verification must be maintained in the licensee's files.

deleted text begin (f) For emergency ambulance calls and interfacility transfers, an ambulance service may
staff its basic life-support ambulances with one EMT, who must accompany the patient,
and one registered emergency medical responder driver. For purposes of this paragraph,
"ambulance service" means either an ambulance service whose primary service area is
mainly located outside the metropolitan counties listed in section 473.121, subdivision 4,
and outside the cities of Duluth, Mankato, Moorhead, Rochester, and St. Cloud; or an
ambulance service based in a community with a population of less than 2,500.
deleted text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 144E.101, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:

new text begin Subd. 6a. new text end

new text begin Basic life support; alternative staffing. new text end

new text begin (a) For purposes of this subdivision,
"ambulance service" means either an ambulance service whose primary service area is
mainly located outside the metropolitan counties listed in section 473.121, subdivision 4,
and outside the cities of Duluth, Mankato, Moorhead, Rochester, and St. Cloud; or an
ambulance service based in a community with a population of less than 2,500.
new text end

new text begin (b) For emergency ambulance calls and interfacility transfers, an ambulance service may
staff its basic life-support ambulances with one EMT, who must accompany the patient,
and one registered emergency medical responder driver.
new text end

new text begin (c) Upon application from an ambulance service that includes evidence demonstrating
hardship, the board may grant a variance from the regular basic life support staffing
requirements in subdivision 6 or the alternative staff requirements in paragraph (b)
authorizing a basic life-support ambulance to be temporarily staffed by one EMT, who must
accompany the patient, and one fire department employee who has completed formal
emergency vehicle operations training with the fire department. The temporary staffing
variance applies to each subsequent emergency ambulance response after an initial emergency
ambulance call until an ambulance with regular or alternative staffing is again available.
The variance shall apply to basic life-support ambulances operated by the ambulance service
until the ambulance service renews its license. When a variance expires, an ambulance
service may apply for a new variance under this paragraph.
new text end