Emergency medical services: data and information system.

Existing law, the Emergency Medical Services System and the Prehospital Emergency Medical Care Personnel Act, governs local emergency medical services systems. The act establishes the Emergency Medical Services Authority, which is responsible for the coordination and integration of all state agencies concerning emergency medical services. Existing law also creates the Commission on Emergency Medical Services, and requires the commission to perform various duties regarding the authority and emergency medical services. Existing law requires the authority to develop planning and implementation guidelines for emergency medical services systems that address data collection and evaluation, among other things. Existing law requires the commission to review and approve regulations, standards, and guidelines developed by the authority. This bill would require the authority to utilize its California Emergency Medical Services Information System (CEMSIS) and adopt a single statewide standard for the collection of information regarding prehospital care to determine and monitor the quality and effectiveness of the statewide emergency medical services system, compliant with the most current National Emergency Medical Services Information System (NEMSIS) standards, and to avoid unnecessary duplication of data collection at the local level. The bill would require the authority to develop regulations and standards for electronic patient care record systems used by local EMS agencies and local prehospital EMS providers to ensure compatibility with CEMSIS. The bill would require the authority to comply with its provisions on or before July 1, 2016. The bill would also require local EMS agencies to submit specified information to the authority. By imposing new duties on local officials, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would provide that all of the above provisions and any regulations and standards adopted pursuant to those provisions would only be implemented to the extent that funds are made available through an appropriation in the annual budget act. 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.