SF 223

1st Engrossment - 84th Legislature (2005 - 2006) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to health; modifying ambulance service
provisions; modifying requirements for first
responders and emergency medical technicians;
providing for emergency suspension of certain
requirements; amending Minnesota Statutes 2004,
sections 144E.001, subdivisions 8, 15, by adding a
subdivision; 144E.27, subdivision 2; 144E.28,
subdivisions 1, 3, 7, 8; proposing coding for new law
in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 144E.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 144E.001,
subdivision 8, is amended to read:

Subd. 8.

Licensee.

"Licensee" means a natural person,
partnership, association, corporation, new text begin Indian tribe, new text end or unit of
government which possesses an ambulance service license.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 144E.001, is
amended by adding a subdivision to read:

new text begin Subd. 14a. new text end

new text begin Tribe. new text end

new text begin "Tribe" means a federally recognized
Indian tribe, as defined in United States Code, title 25,
section 450b, paragraph (e), located within the state of
Minnesota.
new text end

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 144E.001,
subdivision 15, is amended to read:

Subd. 15.

Volunteer ambulance attendant.

"Volunteer
ambulance attendant" means a person who provides emergency
medical services for a Minnesota licensed ambulance service
without the expectation of remuneration and who does not depend
in any way upon the provision of these services for the person's
livelihood. An individual may be considered a volunteer
ambulance attendant even though the individual receives an
hourly stipend for each hour of actual service provided, except
for hours on standby alert, or other nominal fee, and even
though the hourly stipend or other nominal fee is regarded as
taxable income for purposes of state or federal law, provided
that the hourly stipend and other nominal fees do not exceed
deleted text begin $3,000 within one year of the final certification
examination deleted text end new text begin $6,000 annually new text end .

Sec. 4.

new text begin [144E.266] EMERGENCY SUSPENSION OF AMBULANCE
SERVICE REQUIREMENT.
new text end

new text begin (a) The requirements of sections 144E.10; 144E.101,
subdivisions 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 13; 144E.103;
144E.12; 144E.121; 144E.123; 144E.127; and 144E.15, are
suspended:
new text end

new text begin (1) throughout the state during a national security
emergency declared under section 12.31;
new text end

new text begin (2) in the geographic areas of the state affected during a
peacetime emergency declared under section 12.31; and
new text end

new text begin (3) in the geographic areas of the state affected during a
local emergency declared under section 12.29.
new text end

new text begin (b) For purposes of this section, the geographic areas of
the state affected shall include geographic areas where one or
more ambulance services are providing requested mutual aid to
the site of the emergency.
new text end

Sec. 5.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 144E.27,
subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Registration.

To be eligible for registration
with the board as a first responder, an individual
shall new text begin complete a board-approved application form and new text end :

(1) successfully complete a board-approved initial first
responder training program. Registration under this clause is
valid for two years and expires at the end of the month in which
the registration was issued; or

(2) be credentialed as a first responder by the National
Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians. Registration under
this clause expires the same day as the National Registry
credential.

Sec. 6.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 144E.28,
subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Requirements.

To be eligible for
certification by the board as an EMT, EMT-I, or EMT-P, an
individual shall:

(1) successfully complete the United States Department of
Transportation course, or its equivalent as approved by the
board, specific to the EMT, EMT-I, or EMT-P classification; deleted text begin and
deleted text end

(2) pass the written and practical examinations approved by
the board and administered by the board or its designee,
specific to the EMT, EMT-I, or EMT-P classification new text begin ; and
new text end

new text begin (3) complete a board-approved application form new text end .

Sec. 7.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 144E.28,
subdivision 3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3.

Reciprocity.

The board may certify an
individual who possesses a current National Registry of
Emergency Medical Technicians registration from another
jurisdiction new text begin if the individual submits a board-approved
application form new text end . The board certification classification shall
be the same as the National Registry's classification.
Certification shall be for the duration of the applicant's
registration period in another jurisdiction, not to exceed two
years.

Sec. 8.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 144E.28,
subdivision 7, is amended to read:

Subd. 7.

Renewal.

(a) Before the expiration date of
certification, an applicant for renewal of certification as an
EMT shall:

(1) successfully complete a course in cardiopulmonary
resuscitation that is approved by the board or the licensee's
medical director; deleted text begin and
deleted text end

(2) take the United States Department of Transportation EMT
refresher course and successfully pass the practical skills test
portion of the course, or successfully complete 48 hours of
continuing education in EMT programs that are consistent with
the United States Department of Transportation National Standard
Curriculum or its equivalent as approved by the board or as
approved by the licensee's medical director and pass a practical
skills test approved by the board and administered by a training
program approved by the board. The cardiopulmonary
resuscitation course and practical skills test may be included
as part of the refresher course or continuing education renewal
requirements. Twenty-four of the 48 hours must include at least
four hours of instruction in each of the following six
categories:

(i) airway management and resuscitation procedures;

(ii) circulation, bleeding control, and shock;

(iii) human anatomy and physiology, patient assessment, and
medical emergencies;

(iv) injuries involving musculoskeletal, nervous,
digestive, and genito-urinary systems;

(v) environmental emergencies and rescue techniques; and

(vi) emergency childbirth and other special situations new text begin ; and
new text end

new text begin (3) complete a board-approved application form new text end .

(b) Before the expiration date of certification, an
applicant for renewal of certification as an EMT-I or EMT-P
shall:

(1) for an EMT-I, successfully complete a course in
cardiopulmonary resuscitation that is approved by the board or
the licensee's medical director and for an EMT-P, successfully
complete a course in advanced cardiac life support that is
approved by the board or the licensee's medical director; deleted text begin and
deleted text end

(2) successfully complete 48 hours of continuing education
in emergency medical training programs, appropriate to the level
of the applicant's EMT-I or EMT-P certification, that are
consistent with the United States Department of Transportation
National Standard Curriculum or its equivalent as approved by
the board or as approved by the licensee's medical director. An
applicant may take the United States Department of
Transportation Emergency Medical Technician refresher course or
its equivalent without the written or practical test as approved
by the board, and as appropriate to the applicant's level of
certification, as part of the 48 hours of continuing education.
Each hour of the refresher course, the cardiopulmonary
resuscitation course, and the advanced cardiac life support
course counts toward the 48-hour continuing education
requirement new text begin ; and
new text end

new text begin (3) complete a board-approved application form new text end .

(c) Certification shall be renewed every two years.

(d) If the applicant does not meet the renewal requirements
under this subdivision, the applicant's certification expires.

Sec. 9.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 144E.28,
subdivision 8, is amended to read:

Subd. 8.

Reinstatement.

(a) Within four years of a
certification expiration date, a person whose certification has
expired under subdivision 7, paragraph (d), may have the
certification reinstated upon submission of new text begin :
new text end

new text begin (1) new text end evidence to the board of training equivalent to the
continuing education requirements of subdivision 7 new text begin ; and
new text end

new text begin (2) a board-approved application form new text end .

(b) If more than four years have passed since a certificate
expiration date, an applicant must complete the initial
certification process required under subdivision 1.