BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                    AB 1931


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          Date of Hearing:  May 4, 2016


                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS


                               Lorena Gonzalez, Chair


          AB  
          1931 (Rodriguez) - As Amended April 25, 2016


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          Urgency:  No  State Mandated Local Program:  NoReimbursable:  No


          SUMMARY:


          This bill conforms guidelines for investigations and discipline  
          of misconduct by Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic license  
          holders (paramedics) to current requirements for Emergency  
          Medical Technician-I and II (EMT-I and EMT-II) certificate  








                                                                    AB 1931


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          holders.  


          In so doing, it requires Emergency Medical Services Authority  
          (EMSA) to promulgate regulations related to disciplinary  
          oversight for paramedics. 


          FISCAL EFFECT:


          Staff costs of $130,000 GF per year for two years to EMSA to  
          promulgate regulations.


          COMMENTS:


          1)Purpose. According to the author, California adopted a system  
            for the coordinated oversight of EMT-Is and EMT-IIs in AB 2917  
            (Torrico), Chapter 274, Statutes of 2007. That same system of  
            coordinated oversight does not apply to paramedics, and as a  
            result, paramedics are often disciplined by multiple agencies  
            and levels of government.  The coordinated system made  
            applicable to other EMTs nearly a decade ago does not apply to  
            paramedics.  The intent of this bill is to enact a  
            disciplinary oversight system for California's paramedics that  
            parallels the system currently applicable to other EMTs.  


          2)Background. The EMS system is a partnership between the state  
            EMSA, county-based or regional local EMS agencies, and other  
            entities such as ambulance providers, fire stations, and  
            hospitals.  EMSA currently licenses paramedics, but to work in  
            the state, paramedics must also be accredited by the local EMS  
            agency with jurisdiction in the county of employment.  EMSA  
            licensure requires education, practical skills, an exam, and a  
            background check; local EMS agency accreditation ensures a  
            paramedic is familiar with local policies, hospitals, and EMS  








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            systems. Disciplinary action can occur at the local level, at  
            the EMSA level, or at the employer level.  


          3)Prior Legislation.  AB 1944 (Gatto) of 2012 provided paramedic  
            employers increased authority over disciplinary investigations  
            and actions for paramedics in their employment, and changed  
            existing roles of EMSA and the local EMS agencies with regard  
            to such investigations and actions.  AB 1944 was held on the  
            Suspense File of the Senate Appropriations Committee.


          Analysis Prepared by:Lisa Murawski / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081