BILL NUMBER: SB 1629	CHAPTERED  09/28/02

	CHAPTER  1050
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE  SEPTEMBER 28, 2002
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR  SEPTEMBER 28, 2002
	PASSED THE SENATE  AUGUST 30, 2002
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 26, 2002
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 23, 2002
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  JUNE 26, 2002
	AMENDED IN SENATE  MAY 23, 2002
	AMENDED IN SENATE  APRIL 18, 2002
	AMENDED IN SENATE  APRIL 3, 2002

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Soto
   (Coauthors:  Assembly Members Briggs, Dickerson, Longville,
Maddox, Reyes, and Wiggins)

                        FEBRUARY 21, 2002

   An act to add Section 1797.115 to the Health and Safety Code,
relating to emergency services.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 1629, Soto.  Emergency services:  training.
   Existing law, the Emergency Medical Services System and the
Prehospital Emergency Medical Care Personnel Act, requires the
Emergency Medical Services Authority to adopt standards for a
statewide scope of practice to be used for the training and
certification testing of Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic
(EMT-P) personnel.
   This bill would authorize, to the extent permitted by federal law
and upon appropriation, the Director of Finance to transfer to the
Emergency Medical Services Authority any moneys in the Federal Trust
Fund if the money is made available by the United States for
expenditure by the state for  purposes consistent with the
implementation of the bill.  This bill would provide for the
allocation of funds to the California Fire Fighter Joint
Apprenticeship Program to offset  the cost of paramedic training
course development, to enter into certain reimbursement contracts
with eligible state and local agencies that may contract with
educational institutions for the delivery of paramedic training, and
to allocate grants to state and local agencies to defray the cost of
providing paramedic training for fire service personnel.
   The bill would also authorize the authority to recover
administrative costs for the bill from specified funds transferred
pursuant to the bill, to the extent permitted by federal law.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
   (a) In California it costs approximately $40,000 to cross-train a
firefighter as a paramedic.  This cost reflects expenses incurred
for, among other things, instructional supplies, teaching staff,
equipment, and trainee compensation.
   (b) It is cost-effective for state and local agencies to integrate
their paramedic training course needs into single multiagency
courses.
   (c) The California Fire Fighter Joint Apprenticeship Program, a
quasi-governmental agency jointly sponsored by the California State
Fire Marshal and the California Professional Firefighters, is a
voluntary fire service apprenticeship training program whose broad
network represents employers of approximately 90 percent of
professional firefighters statewide.
   (d) The California Fire Fighter Joint Apprenticeship Program is an
equal balance partnership benefitting California fire departments,
firefighters, and the communities served by the program.
  SEC. 2.  Section 1797.115 is added to the Health and Safety Code,
to read:
   1797.115.  (a) To the extent permitted by federal law and upon
appropriation in the annual Budget Act or another statute, the
Director of Finance may transfer any moneys in the Federal Trust Fund
established pursuant to Section 16360 of the Government Code to the
Emergency Medical Services Authority if the money is made available
by the United States for expenditure by the state for purposes
consistent with the implementation of this section.
   (b) Moneys appropriated pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be
allocated by the authority to the California Fire Fighter Joint
Apprenticeship Program to do all of the following:
   (1) Offset the cost of paramedic training course development.
   (2) Enter into reimbursement contracts with eligible state and
local agencies that in turn may contract with educational
institutions for the delivery of paramedic training conducted in
compliance with the requirements of subdivision (a) of Section
1797.172.
   (3) Allocate funds, in the form of grants, to eligible state and
local agencies to defray the cost of providing paramedic training for
fire services personnel, including, but not limited to,
instructional supplies and trainee compensation expenses.  To the
extent permitted by federal law, the authority shall recover its
costs for administration of this section from the funds transferred
pursuant to subdivision (a).
   (c) In order to be eligible for a grant under paragraph (3) of
subdivision (b), a state or local agency shall demonstrate a need for
additional paramedics.
   (d) For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall
apply:
   (1) "Fire service personnel" includes, but is not limited to, a
firefighter or prehospital emergency medical worker employed by a
state or local agency.
   (2) "Local agency" means any city, county, city and county, fire
district, special district, joint powers agency, or any other
political subdivision of the state that provides fire protection
services.
   (3) "State agency" means any state agency that provides
residential or institutional fire protection, including, but not
limited to, the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.