SB 445 — Reducing certification periods and renewal fees for EMS personnel

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in effect from passage] Enr CS for SB 445 AN ACT to amend and reenact §16-4C-8 and §16-4C-9 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, all relating to certification of emergency medical services personnel;

establishing dates for mandatory rule-making;

setting period of validity of certification for emergency medical services personnel at two years;

and requiring Office of Emergency Medical Services to publish certain disciplinary actions taken against certified emergency medical services personnel on its website.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 4C.

EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES ACT.

§16-4C-8.

Standards for emergency medical services personnel.

(a) Every ambulance operated by an emergency medical services agency shall carry at least two personnel.

At least one person shall be certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation or first aid and the person in the patient compartment shall be certified as an emergency medical technician-basic, at a minimum, except that in the case of a specialized multi-patient medical transport, only one staff person is required and that person shall be certified, at a minimum, at the level of an emergency medical technician-basic.

The requirements of this subsection will remain in effect until revised by the legislative rule to be promulgated pursuant to §16-4C-8(b) of this code.

(b) On or before May 28, 2024, the commissioner shall submit a proposed legislative rule to the Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council for review, and on or before June 30, 2024, shall file the proposed legislative rule with the Office of the Secretary of State, in accordance with the provisions of §29A-3-1 et seq.

of this code, to establish certification standards for emergency medical vehicle operators and to revise the requirements for emergency medical services personnel.

(c) As of the effective date of the legislative rule to be promulgated pursuant to §16-4C- 8(b), emergency medical services personnel who operate ambulances shall meet the requirements set forth in the legislative rule.

(d) Any person desiring emergency medical services personnel certification shall apply to 1 Enr CS for SB 445 the commissioner using forms and procedures prescribed by the commissioner.

Upon receipt of the application, the commissioner shall determine whether the applicant meets the certification requirements and may examine the applicant if necessary to make that determination.

(e) The applicant shall submit to a national criminal background check, the requirement of which is declared to be not against public policy.

(1) The applicant shall meet all requirements necessary to accomplish the national criminal background check, including submitting fingerprints, and authorizing the West Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services, the West Virginia State Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to use all records submitted and produced for the purpose of screening the applicant for certification.

(2) The results of the national criminal background check may not be released to, or by, a private entity.

(3) The applicant shall submit a fee of $75 for initial certification and a fee of $25 for recertification.

The fees set forth in this subsection remain in effect until modified by legislative rule.

(f) An application for an original, renewal, or temporary emergency medical services personnel certificate or emergency medical services agency license, shall be acted upon by the commissioner and the certificate or license delivered or mailed, or a copy of any order of the commissioner denying any such application delivered or mailed, to the applicant within 15 days after the date upon which the complete application, including test scores and background checks, if applicable, was received by the commissioner.

(g) Certification as an Emergency Medical Dispatcher, Emergency Medical Vehicle Operator, Emergency Medical Responder, Emergency Medical Technician, Advanced Emergency Medical Technician, Paramedic, Mobile Critical Care Paramedic, or Mobile Critical Care Nurse is valid for a period of two years with expiration dates determined by the commissioner.

(h) Any person may report to the commissioner, or the Director of the Office of Emergency 2 Enr CS for SB 445 Medical Services, information he or she may have that appears to show that a person certified by the commissioner may have violated the provisions of this article or legislative rules promulgated pursuant to this article.

A person who is certified by the commissioner, who knows of or observes another person certified by the commissioner violating the provisions of this article or legislative rules promulgated pursuant to this article, has a duty to report the violation to the commissioner or director.

Any person who reports or provides information in good faith is immune from civil liability.

(i) The commissioner may issue a temporary emergency medical services personnel certificate to an applicant, with or without examination of the applicant, when he or she finds that issuance to be in the public interest.

Unless suspended or revoked, a temporary certificate shall be valid initially for a period not exceeding 120 days and may not be renewed unless the commissioner finds the renewal to be in the public interest.

(j) For purposes of certification or recertification of emergency medical services personnel, the commissioner shall recognize and give full credit for all continuing education credits that have been approved or recognized by any state or nationally recognized accrediting body.

(k) Notwithstanding any other provision of code or rule, the commissioner recognizes that military personnel, National Guardsmen, members of the United States Coast Guard, and members of the Reserve Components of the armed services have advanced skills and training necessary to meet the requirements of this section to be certified as an emergency medical technician-paramedic upon application.

Any person may seek automatic certification as an emergency medical technician-paramedic in this state if he or she has:

(1) Been honorably discharged from any branch of the United States military;

(2) Received paramedic or similar life-saving medical training in positions including, but not limited to, United States Army Combat Medic, United States Air Force Pararescue, United States Air Force Combat Rescue Officer, United States Navy Hospital Corpsman – Advanced Technical Field, United States Coast Guard Health Services Technician, National Guard Health Care Specialist, the Reserve Components of any of the preceding positions, or can otherwise 3 Enr CS for SB 445 demonstrate that his or her occupation in the military received substantially similar training to be certified as required by the commissioner;

and (3) Received an honorable discharge within two years of the application date.

(l) Notwithstanding any other provision of code or rule, the commissioner recognizes that military personnel, National Guardsmen, members of the United States Coast Guard, and members of the Reserve Components of the armed services have advanced skills and training necessary to meet the requirements of this section to be certified as an emergency medical technician-basic upon application.

Any person may seek automatic certification as an emergency medical technician-basic in this state if he or she has:

(1) Been honorably discharged from any branch in the United States military;

(2) Received emergency medical technician training or similar life-saving medical training in positions including, but not limited to, United States Army Infantryman, United States Air Force Security Forces, United States Navy Hospital Corpsman, United States Coast Guard Aviation Survival Technician, United States Marines Infantryman, National Guard Infantryman, and Reserve Components of any of the preceding positions, or can otherwise demonstrate that his or her occupation in the military received substantially similar training to be certified as required by the commissioner;