1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to health; modifying ambulance service
1.3 	provisions; modifying requirements for first
1.4 	responders and emergency medical technicians;
1.5 	providing for emergency suspension of certain
1.6 	requirements; amending Minnesota Statutes 2004,
1.7 	sections 144E.001, subdivisions 8, 15; 144E.10, by
1.8 	adding a subdivision; 144E.27, subdivision 2; 144E.28,
1.9 	subdivisions 1, 3, 7, 8; proposing coding for new law
1.10 	in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 144E.
1.11 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.12 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 144E.001,
1.13 	subdivision 8, is amended to read:
1.14 		Subd. 8.Licensee.  "Licensee" means a natural person,
1.15 	partnership, association, corporation, Indian tribe,or unit of
1.16 	government which possesses an ambulance service license.

1.17 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 144E.001,
1.18 	subdivision 15, is amended to read:
1.19 		Subd. 15.Volunteer ambulance attendant.  "Volunteer
1.20 	ambulance attendant" means a person who provides emergency
1.21 	medical services for a Minnesota licensed ambulance service
1.22 	without the expectation of remuneration and who does not depend
1.23 	in any way upon the provision of these services for the person's
1.24 	livelihood.  An individual may be considered a volunteer
1.25 	ambulance attendant even though the individual receives an
1.26 	hourly stipend for each hour of actual service provided, except
1.27 	for hours on standby alert, or other nominal fee, and even
1.28 	though the hourly stipend or other nominal fee is regarded as
2.1 	taxable income for purposes of state or federal law, provided
2.2 	that the hourly stipend and other nominal fees do not exceed
2.3 	~~$3,000 within one year of the final certification~~
2.4 	~~examination~~ $6,000 annually.

2.5 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 144E.10, is
2.6 	amended by adding a subdivision to read:
2.7 		Subd. 3.Tribal licensing. (a) As used in this chapter,
2.8 	"tribe" means a federally recognized Indian tribe, as defined in
2.9 	United States Code, title 25, section 450b, paragraph (e),
2.10 	located within the state of Minnesota.
2.11 	(b) A tribe may be licensed by the board to operate an
2.12 	ambulance service if the tribe agrees:
2.13 	(1) to comply with all requirements of this chapter and
2.14 	applicable rules;
2.15 	(2) to be subject to liability for its torts and those of
2.16 	its officers, employees, and agents acting within the scope of
2.17 	their employment duties arising out of the operation of an
2.18 	ambulance service licensed by the board, to the same extent as a
2.19 	municipality under chapter 466, and the tribe further agrees,
2.20 	notwithstanding section 16C.05, subdivision 7, to waive its
2.21 	sovereign immunity with respect to claims arising from the
2.22 	liability; and 
2.23 	(3) to be subject to chapter 13 and any other laws of the
2.24 	state relating to data practices of ambulance services licensed
2.25 	by the board.
2.26 	(c)  To coordinate, define, and regulate the provision of
2.27 	ambulance service and to provide for mutual aid and cooperation,
2.28 	a tribe and the board shall enter into agreements under section
2.29 	471.59.  For purposes of section 471.59, a tribe shall be
2.30 	considered a "governmental unit." 

2.31 	Sec. 4. [144E.266] EMERGENCY SUSPENSION OF AMBULANCE
2.32 	SERVICE REQUIREMENT.
2.33 	(a) The requirements of sections 144E.10; 144E.101,
2.34 	subdivisions 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 13; 144E.103;
2.35 	144E.12; 144E.121; 144E.123; 144E.127; and 144E.15, are
2.36 	suspended:
3.1 	(1) throughout the state during a national security
3.2 	emergency declared under section 12.31;
3.3 	(2) in the geographic areas of the state affected during a
3.4 	peacetime emergency declared under section 12.31; and 
3.5 	(3) in the geographic areas of the state affected during a
3.6 	local emergency declared under section 12.29.
3.7 	(b) For purposes of this section, the geographic areas of
3.8 	the state affected shall include geographic areas where one or
3.9 	more ambulance services are providing requested mutual aid to
3.10 	the site of the emergency.

3.11 	Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 144E.27,
3.12 	subdivision 2, is amended to read:
3.13 		Subd. 2.Registration.  To be eligible for registration
3.14 	with the board as a first responder, an individual
3.15 	shall complete a board-approved application form and:
3.16 	(1) successfully complete a board-approved initial first
3.17 	responder training program.  Registration under this clause is
3.18 	valid for two years and expires at the end of the month in which
3.19 	the registration was issued; or
3.20 	(2) be credentialed as a first responder by the National
3.21 	Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians.  Registration under
3.22 	this clause expires the same day as the National Registry
3.23 	credential.

3.24 	Sec. 6. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 144E.28,
3.25 	subdivision 1, is amended to read:
3.26 		Subdivision 1.Requirements.  To be eligible for
3.27 	certification by the board as an EMT, EMT-I, or EMT-P, an
3.28 	individual shall:
3.29 	(1) successfully complete the United States Department of
3.30 	Transportation course, or its equivalent as approved by the
3.31 	board, specific to the EMT, EMT-I, or EMT-P classification; ~~and~~ 
3.32 	(2) pass the written and practical examinations approved by
3.33 	the board and administered by the board or its designee,
3.34 	specific to the EMT, EMT-I, or EMT-P classification; and 
3.35 	(3) complete a board-approved application form.

3.36 	Sec. 7. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 144E.28,
4.1 	subdivision 3, is amended to read:
4.2 		Subd. 3.Reciprocity.  The board may certify an
4.3 	individual who possesses a current National Registry of
4.4 	Emergency Medical Technicians registration from another
4.5 	jurisdiction if the individual submits a board-approved
4.6 	application form.  The board certification classification shall
4.7 	be the same as the National Registry's classification.
4.8 	Certification shall be for the duration of the applicant's
4.9 	registration period in another jurisdiction, not to exceed two
4.10 	years.

4.11 	Sec. 8. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 144E.28,
4.12 	subdivision 7, is amended to read:
4.13 		Subd. 7.Renewal.  (a) Before the expiration date of
4.14 	certification, an applicant for renewal of certification as an
4.15 	EMT shall:
4.16 	(1) successfully complete a course in cardiopulmonary
4.17 	resuscitation that is approved by the board or the licensee's
4.18 	medical director; ~~and~~ 
4.19 	(2) take the United States Department of Transportation EMT
4.20 	refresher course and successfully pass the practical skills test
4.21 	portion of the course, or successfully complete 48 hours of
4.22 	continuing education in EMT programs that are consistent with
4.23 	the United States Department of Transportation National Standard
4.24 	Curriculum or its equivalent as approved by the board or as
4.25 	approved by the licensee's medical director and pass a practical
4.26 	skills test approved by the board and administered by a training
4.27 	program approved by the board.  The cardiopulmonary
4.28 	resuscitation course and practical skills test may be included
4.29 	as part of the refresher course or continuing education renewal
4.30 	requirements.  Twenty-four of the 48 hours must include at least
4.31 	four hours of instruction in each of the following six
4.32 	categories:
4.33 	(i) airway management and resuscitation procedures;
4.34 	(ii) circulation, bleeding control, and shock;
4.35 	(iii) human anatomy and physiology, patient assessment, and
4.36 	medical emergencies;
5.1 	(iv) injuries involving musculoskeletal, nervous,
5.2 	digestive, and genito-urinary systems;
5.3 	(v) environmental emergencies and rescue techniques; and
5.4 	(vi) emergency childbirth and other special situations; and 
5.5 	(3) complete a board-approved application form.
5.6 	(b) Before the expiration date of certification, an
5.7 	applicant for renewal of certification as an EMT-I or EMT-P
5.8 	shall:
5.9 	(1) for an EMT-I, successfully complete a course in
5.10 	cardiopulmonary resuscitation that is approved by the board or
5.11 	the licensee's medical director and for an EMT-P, successfully
5.12 	complete a course in advanced cardiac life support that is
5.13 	approved by the board or the licensee's medical director; ~~and~~ 
5.14 	(2) successfully complete 48 hours of continuing education
5.15 	in emergency medical training programs, appropriate to the level
5.16 	of the applicant's EMT-I or EMT-P certification, that are
5.17 	consistent with the United States Department of Transportation
5.18 	National Standard Curriculum or its equivalent as approved by
5.19 	the board or as approved by the licensee's medical director.  An
5.20 	applicant may take the United States Department of
5.21 	Transportation Emergency Medical Technician refresher course or
5.22 	its equivalent without the written or practical test as approved
5.23 	by the board, and as appropriate to the applicant's level of
5.24 	certification, as part of the 48 hours of continuing education.
5.25 	Each hour of the refresher course, the cardiopulmonary
5.26 	resuscitation course, and the advanced cardiac life support
5.27 	course counts toward the 48-hour continuing education
5.28 	requirement; and 
5.29 	(3) complete a board-approved application form.
5.30 	(c) Certification shall be renewed every two years.
5.31 	(d) If the applicant does not meet the renewal requirements
5.32 	under this subdivision, the applicant's certification expires.

5.33 	Sec. 9. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 144E.28,
5.34 	subdivision 8, is amended to read:
5.35 		Subd. 8.Reinstatement.  (a) Within four years of a
5.36 	certification expiration date, a person whose certification has
6.1 	expired under subdivision 7, paragraph (d), may have the
6.2 	certification reinstated upon submission of:
6.3 	(1) evidence to the board of training equivalent to the
6.4 	continuing education requirements of subdivision 7; and 
6.5 	(2) a board-approved application form.
6.6 	(b) If more than four years have passed since a certificate
6.7 	expiration date, an applicant must complete the initial
6.8 	certification process required under subdivision 1.