Emergency medical services: EMT-P discipline.

Under existing law, the Emergency Medical Services System and the Prehospital Emergency Medical Care Personnel Act, the Emergency Medical Services Authority is responsible for establishing minimum standards and promulgating regulations for the training and scope of practice for an emergency medical technicians-paramedic (EMT-P) who is licensed under the act. Existing law provides that the Emergency Medical Services Authority may deny, suspend, or revoke licenses issued under these provisions, or may place a licenseholder on probation, upon the occurrence of any of specified events. Existing law also authorizes the director of the authority and the medical director of a local emergency medical service (EMS) agency to temporarily suspend a license upon a determination that specified conditions have been met. This bill would revise the procedures and requirements for discipline of an EMT-P to require, among other things, certain determinations by the authority or an investigation by the EMT-P employer, as specified, and a determination of disciplinary cause, before the authority may deny, suspend, or revoke a license. This bill would permit only an employer with physician oversight, including by contract, to conduct an investigation. The bill would authorize the medical director of a local EMS agency to refer information regarding conduct that appears to constitute disciplinary cause to the authority and the EMT-P's employer, as specified. The bill would further require, in specified instances, if an EMT-P is unemployed, that the authority conduct an investigation and take disciplinary action, as necessary. By imposing new duties upon local officials, this bill would create a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.