Connecticut 2020 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB00247 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	LCO No. 1507 1 of 4
4	4
5	5	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 247
6	6	February Session, 2020
7	7	LCO No. 1507
8	8
9	9
10	10	Referred to Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH
11	11
12	12
13	13	Introduced by:
14	14	(PH)
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19	19	AN ACT CONCERNING ME NTAL HEALTH TRAINING OF
20	20	EMERGENCY MEDICAL SE RVICES PERSONNEL.
21	21	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
22	22	Assembly convened:
23	23
24	24	Section 1. Subsections (a) to (d), inclusive, of section 20-206mm of the 1
25	25	2020 supplement to the general statutes are repealed and the following 2
26	26	is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2020): 3
27	27	(a) Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c) of this section, an 4
28	28	applicant for a license as a paramedic shall submit evidence satisfactory 5
29	29	to the Commissioner of Public Health that the applicant has successfully 6
30	30	(1) completed a paramedic training program approved by the 7
31	31	commissioner, (2) for applicants applying on and after January 1, 2020, 8
32	32	completed mental health first aid training as part of a program provided 9
33	33	by an instructor certified by the National Council for Behavioral Health 10
34	34	or an organization with substantially similar requirements for 11
35	35	certification in mental health first aid training, as determined by the 12
36	36	commissioner, and (3) passed an examination prescribed by the 13
37	37	commissioner. 14
38	38	(b) An applicant for licensure by endorsement shall present evidence 15 Raised Bill No. 247
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40	40
41	41
42	42	LCO No. 1507 2 of 4
43	43
44	44	satisfactory to the commissioner that the applicant (1) is licensed or 16
45	45	certified as a paramedic in another state or jurisdiction whose 17
46	46	requirements for practicing in such capacity are substantially similar to 18
47	47	or higher than those of this state and that the applicant has no pending 19
48	48	disciplinary action or unresolved complaint against him or her, or (2) 20
49	49	(A) is currently licensed or certified as a paramedic in good standing in 21
50	50	any New England state, New York or New Jersey, (B) has completed an 22
51	51	initial training program consistent with the National Emergency 23
52	52	Medical Services Education Standards, as promulgated by the National 24
53	53	Highway Traffic Safety Administration for the paramedic scope of 25
54	54	practice model conducted by an organization offering a program that is 26
55	55	recognized by the national emergency medical services program 27
56	56	accrediting organization, (C) for applicants applying on or after January 28
57	57	1, 2020, has completed mental health first aid training as part of a 29
58	58	program provided by an instructor certified by the National Council for 30
59	59	Behavioral Health or an organization with substantially similar 31
60	60	requirements for certification in mental health first aid training, as 32
61	61	determined by the commissioner, and (D) has no pending disciplinary 33
62	62	action or unresolved complaint against him or her. 34
63	63	(c) Any person who is certified as an emergency medical technician-35
64	64	paramedic by the Department of Public Health on October 1, 1997, shall 36
65	65	be deemed a licensed paramedic. Any person so deemed shall renew his 37
66	66	license pursuant to section 19a-88 for a fee of one hundred fifty-five 38
67	67	dollars. 39
68	68	(d) On or after January 1, 2020, each person seeking certification as an 40
69	69	emergency medical responder, emergency medical technician or 41
70	70	advanced emergency medical technician shall apply to the department 42
71	71	on forms prescribed by the commissioner. Applicants for certification 43
72	72	shall comply with the following requirements: (1) For initial 44
73	73	certification, an applicant shall present evidence satisfactory to the 45
74	74	commissioner that the applicant (A) has completed an initial training 46
75	75	program consistent with the National Emergency Medical Services 47
76	76	Education Standards, as promulgated by the National Highway Traffic 48
77	77	Safety Administration for the emergency medical responder, emergency 49 Raised Bill No. 247
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80	80
81	81	LCO No. 1507 3 of 4
82	82
83	83	medical technician or advanced emergency medical technician 50
84	84	curriculum, (B) has passed the examination administered by the 51
85	85	national organization for emergency medical certification for an 52
86	86	emergency medical responder, emergency medical technician or 53
87	87	advanced emergency medical technician as necessary for the type of 54
88	88	certification sought by the applicant or an examination approved by the 55
89	89	department, [and] (C) has completed mental health first aid training as 56
90	90	part of a program provided by an instructor certified by the National 57
91	91	Council for Behavioral Health or an organization with substantially 58
92	92	similar requirements for certification in mental health first aid training, 59
93	93	as determined by the commissioner, and (D) has no pending 60
94	94	disciplinary action or unresolved complaints against such applicant, (2) 61
95	95	a certificate issued under this subsection shall be renewed once every 62
96	96	two years in accordance with the provisions of section 19a-88 upon 63
97	97	presentation of evidence satisfactory to the commissioner that the 64
98	98	applicant (A) has successfully completed continuing education for an 65
99	99	emergency medical responder, emergency medical technician or 66
100	100	advanced emergency medical technician as required by the national 67
101	101	organization for emergency medical certification or as approved by the 68
102	102	department, or (B) presents a current certification as an emergency 69
103	103	medical responder, emergency medical technician or advanced 70
104	104	emergency medical technician from the national organization for 71
105	105	emergency medical certification, or (3) for certification by endorsement 72
106	106	from another state, an applicant shall present evidence satisfactory to 73
107	107	the commissioner that the applicant (A) (i) is currently certified as an 74
108	108	emergency medical responder, emergency medical technician or 75
109	109	advanced emergency medical technician in good standing by a state that 76
110	110	maintains certification or licensing requirements that the commissioner 77
111	111	determines are equal to or greater than those in this state, or [(B)] (ii) 78
112	112	holds a current certification as an emergency medical responder, 79
113	113	emergency medical technician or advanced emergency medical 80
114	114	technician from the national organization for emergency medical 81
115	115	certification, and (B) has completed mental health first aid training as 82
116	116	part of a program provided by an instructor certified by the National 83
117	117	Council for Behavioral Health or an organization with substantially 84 Raised Bill No. 247
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120	120
121	121	LCO No. 1507 4 of 4
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123	123	similar requirements for certification in mental health first aid training, 85
124	124	as determined by the commissioner. 86
125	125	This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
126	126	sections:
127	127
128	128	Section 1 October 1, 2020 20-206mm(a) to (d)
129	129
130	130	Statement of Purpose:
131	131	To permit additional organizations to certify instructors that provide
132	132	mental health first aid training to emergency medical services personnel
133	133	and require mental health first aid training for recertification of
134	134	emergency medical services personnel.
135	135	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
136	136	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
137	137	underlined.]
138	138