BILL ANALYSIS �
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Kevin de Le�n, Chair
AB 1621 (Lowenthal and Rodriguez) - Emergency medical services:
data and information system.
Amended: June 24, 2014 Policy Vote: Health 8-0
Urgency: No Mandate: Yes
Hearing Date: August 4, 2014
Consultant: Brendan McCarthy
This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.
Bill Summary: AB 1621 would require the state Emergency Medical
Services Authority to develop a single, statewide standard for
reporting pre-hospital emergency care. The bill would require
local emergency medical service providers to submit information
to the Emergency Medical Services Authority consistent with the
standards.
Fiscal Impact:
One-time costs, likely in the low hundreds of thousands to
develop data standards and adopt regulations (federal
funds). Given that all local emergency medical services
agencies will have to submit data that meet the data
standards adopted under the bill, staff anticipates that
development of those standards will require significant
stakeholder engagement and analysis.
Unknown mandate costs to the state from local emergency
medical services agencies who would be required to report
data to the state under the bill (General Fund). Under
current law and practice, local emergency medical services
agencies may submit data on their activities to the state.
Currently, 14 of the 33 local agencies in the state submit
data to the state. Because the bill mandates that local
agencies submit data to the state, those agencies who do not
currently report data would be able to file a mandate claim
with the Commission on State Mandates to have the state
reimburse those mandated costs.
Unknown mandate costs to the state from local emergency
medical services agencies who would be required to upgrade
their electronic record systems to comply with the data
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standards adopted by the state under the bill (General
Fund). As mentioned above, many local agencies do not
currently report data to the state. Local agencies may need
to make significant upgrades to their electronic record
systems to comply with the requirements of the bill.
Depending on the size of the local agency, those costs could
be in the tens of thousands for a small agency to over $1
million for a large agency. If significant upgrades are
required, those agencies could file a mandate claim with the
state.
Unknown potential costs to CalFire to upgrade their
information technology system and related equipment (General
Fund and local funds). The Department indicates that,
depending on the standards that are adopted under the bill,
significant upgrades may be necessary to their information
technology systems. The scope of those upgrades would
depend, in part, on the details of the data standards
adopted.
CalFire provides fire protection and emergency medical
services, under contract, in several counties. It is likely
that those counties would have to pay for necessary upgrades
to CalFire systems and equipment under those contracts. In
addition, if the standards adopted under the bill require
reporting for basic emergency medical services such as first
aid provided by first responders (such as CalFire
firefighters), then CalFire may need to upgrade systems more
widely.
Unknown potential costs to the Department of Parks and
Recreation. Similar to CalFire, Department of Parks and
Recreation employees often act as first responders to
medical emergencies in state parks and beaches. If the
standards adopted require additional reporting for those
types of incidents, then there would likely be additional
costs for system upgrades by the Department.
Background: Under current law, the Emergency Medical Services
Authority is required to develop planning guidelines for
emergency medical services, including training requirements for
emergency medical service personnel.
Current law authorizes counties to develop emergency medical
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services programs and designate a Local Emergency Medical
Services Agency to oversee the local system.
Proposed Law: AB 1621 would require the state Emergency Medical
Services Authority to develop a single, statewide standard for
reporting pre-hospital emergency care. The bill would require
local emergency medical service providers to submit information
to the Emergency Medical Services Authority consistent with the
standards.
Specific provisions of the bill would:
Require the state Emergency Medical Services Authority to
adopt a single statewide standard for the collection of
information regarding prehospital emergency care, using the
existing California Medical Services Information System;
Require the Authority to develop regulations and standards
for electronic patient care records systems used by local
emergency services agencies;
Require systems used by local emergency medical services
agencies to comply with existing federal standards, the
existing California Medical Services Information System, and
the standards developed by the authority;
Require local emergency medical services agencies that
purchase new electronic patient record systems or upgrade
existing systems to comply with the standards adopted by the
Authority;
Require local emergency medical services agencies to submit
data to the Authority consistent with the data standards.
Related Legislation: AB 1975 (R. Hernandez) would have required
local emergency medical services agencies to contract with the
American College of Surgeons every five years for an assessment
of regional trauma systems. That bill was held on the Assembly
Appropriations Committee's Suspense File.
Staff Comments: Under current law and practice, local emergency
medical services agencies may report data to the state
Authority. This bill would require all local emergency medical
services agencies to do so and to do so using standards
developed by the authority. In mandating this activity, the
state is likely to incur a significant reimbursable mandate
cost.
The state Emergency Medical Services Authority has indicated
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that the existing California Medical Services Information System
can be used, with minor changes, to receive additional data
reported by local agencies.