BILL NUMBER: AB 503	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Rodriguez

                        FEBRUARY 23, 2015

   An act to add Section 1797.122 to the Health and Safety Code,
relating to emergency medical services.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 503, as introduced, Rodriguez. Emergency medical services.
   Existing law requires the Emergency Medical Services Authority to
develop planning and implementation guidelines for emergency medical
services (EMS) systems that address several components, including,
but not limited to, manpower and training, communications,
transportation, and assessment of hospitals and critical care
centers.
   This bill would authorize a health facility, as defined, to
release patient-identifiable medical inform a prehospital emergency
medical services provider to the extent specific data elements are
requested for quality assessment and improvement purposes.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


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

  SECTION 1.  Section 1797.122 is added to the Health and Safety
Code, to read:
   1797.122.  (a) Notwithstanding any other law, a health facility as
defined in subdivision (a) or (b) of Section 1250 may, but is not
required to, release patient-identifiable medical information under
the following circumstances:
   (1) To a prehospital emergency medical services provider
information regarding a patient who was transported to the hospital
by that prehospital emergency medical services provider, to the
extent that specific data elements are requested for quality
assessment and improvement purposes.
   (2) To the Emergency Medical Services Authority or the local
emergency medical services agency, to the extent that specific data
elements are requested for quality assessment and improvement
purposes.
   (b) Each prehospital emergency medical services provider and local
emergency medical services agency, and the Emergency Medical
Services Authority shall request only those data elements that are
minimally necessary in compliance with Section 164.502 (b) and
Section 164.514 (d) of Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations.