Amended in Senate August 26, 2013

Amended in Senate July 8, 2013

Amended in Senate June 20, 2013

Amended in Senate June 10, 2013

Amended in Assembly May 13, 2013

Amended in Assembly April 17, 2013

Amended in Assembly March 19, 2013

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 633


Introduced by Assembly Member Salas

(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Logue)

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(Coauthors: Assembly Members Bocanegra, Ian Calderon, Hall, Jones-Sawyer, Nazarian, Quirk-Silva, Wieckowski, and Yamada)

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(Coauthor: Senator Pavley)

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February 20, 2013


An act to add Section 1799.103 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to emergency medical services.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 633, as amended, Salas. Emergency medical services: civil liability.

Under existing law, a person who, in good faith and not for compensation, renders emergency medical or nonmedical care or assistance at the scene of an emergency is not liable for civil damages resulting from any act or omission, except as specified. Existing law further provides that a person who has completed a basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation course that complies with specified standards, and who in good faith renders emergency cardiopulmonary resuscitation at the scene of an emergency is not liable for any civil damages as a result of any act or omission, except as specified. Existing law provides that a health care provider, including any licensed clinic, health dispensary, or health facility, is not liable for professional negligence or malpractice for any occurrence or result solely on the basis that the occurrence or result was caused by the natural course of a disease or condition, or was the natural or expected result of reasonable treatment rendered for the disease or condition.

This bill would prohibit an employer from having a policy of prohibiting an employee from providing voluntary emergency medical services, including, but not limited to, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, in response to a medical emergency, except as specified.begin insert The bill would state that these provisions do not impose any express or implied duty on an employer to train its employees regarding emergency medical services or cardiopulmonary resuscitation.end insert

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

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SECTION 1.  

Section 1799.103 is added to the Health and
2Safety Code
, to read:

3

1799.103.  

(a) An employer shall not adopt or enforce a policy
4prohibiting an employee from voluntarily providing emergency
5medical services, including, but not limited to, cardiopulmonary
6resuscitation, in response to a medical emergency, except as
7provided in subdivisions (b) and (c).

8(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), an employer may adopt
9and enforce a policy authorizing employees trained in emergency
10services to provide those services. However, in the event of an
11emergency, any available employee may voluntarily provide
12emergency medical services if a trained and authorized employee
13is not immediately available or is otherwise unable or unwilling
14to provide emergency medical services.

15(c) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), an employer may adopt
16and enforce a policy prohibiting an employee from performing
17 emergency medical services, including, but not limited to,
P3    1cardiopulmonary resuscitation, on a person who has expressed the
2desire to forgo resuscitation or other medical interventions through
3any legally recognized means, including, but not limited to, a
4do-not-resuscitate order, a Physician Orders for Life Sustaining
5Treatment form, an advance health care directive, or a legally
6recognized health care decisionmaker.

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7(d) This section does not impose any express or implied duty
8on an employer to train its employees regarding emergency
9medical services or cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

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