Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H2176 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1823 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2176
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Denise C. Garlick
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act relative to emergency medical services oversight.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Denise C. Garlick13th Norfolk1/18/2023Vanna Howard17th Middlesex1/31/2023 1 of 6
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1823 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2176
18	18	By Representative Garlick of Needham, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2176) of
19	19	Denise C. Garlick and Vanna Howard relative to emergency medical services oversight. Public
20	20	Health.
21	21	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
22	22	SEE HOUSE, NO. 2300 OF 2021-2022.]
23	23	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
24	24	_______________
25	25	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
26	26	(2023-2024)
27	27	_______________
28	28	An Act relative to emergency medical services oversight.
29	29	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
30	30	of the same, as follows:
31	31	1 SECTION 1. Paragraph (6) of subsection (b) of section 3 of chapter 111C, as appearing
32	32	2in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “years”, in line 32,
33	33	3the following words:- , provided that, such plan shall include guidelines for clear and streamlined
34	34	4communication between the regional councils and the department.
35	35	5 SECTION 2. Subsection (c) of said section 3 of said chapter 111C, as so appearing, is
36	36	6hereby amended by striking out the word “board”, in line 101, and inserting in place thereof the
37	37	7following words:- “executive council”.
38	38	8 SECTION 3. Section 4 of said chapter 111C, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
39	39	9striking out paragraph (3) of subsection (c) in its entirety. 2 of 6
40	40	10 SECTION 4. Paragraph (6) of subsection (c) of said section 4 of said chapter 111C, as so
41	41	11appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the words “input from”, in line 50, the following
42	42	12words:- , and communication to, .
43	43	13 SECTION 5. Said section 4 of said chapter 111C, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
44	44	14inserting after subsection (c) the following section:-
45	45	15 (d) Each regional EMS council shall prepare and annually file with the department and
46	46	16the executive council, on or before May 30, a regional EMS services and support plan outlining
47	47	17the regional EMS council’s planned efforts to meet and advance the regional EMS council’s
48	48	18roles and responsibilities, as outlined in section 4(c) of this chapter. Each regional EMS plan
49	49	19shall be consistent with the state EMS plan, although it may reflect regional differences. Each
50	50	20regional EMS system plan shall also include, without limitation, a trauma plan consisting of, at a
51	51	21minimum, trauma point of entry guidelines and scene triage criteria.
52	52	22 Upon submission, the department may amend each regional EMS council contract,
53	53	23subject to appropriation and to the guidelines provided by section 5 of this chapter, to reflect and
54	54	24respond to the submitted regional EMS plans.
55	55	25 SECTION 6. Subsection (d) of section 5 of said chapter 111C, as so appearing, is hereby
56	56	26amended by inserting after the word “regions”, in line 18, the following words:- , as well as the
57	57	27regional council’s annual submitted regional EMS plan.
58	58	28 SECTION 7. Section 13 of said chapter 111C, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
59	59	29striking out subsection (b) and inserting in place thereof the following subsection:- 3 of 6
60	60	30 (b) The board shall meet, at a minimum, once annually and serve in a general advisory
61	61	31capacity to the executive council established in section 13A, and the department, in coordinating
62	62	32the efforts of all persons and agencies in the state concerned with the EMS system, and shall
63	63	33render advice on the development of the EMS system where needed. At least one-half of the total
64	64	34appointed members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
65	65	35 SECTION 8. Said chapter 111C, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after
66	66	36section 13 the following section:-
67	67	37 Section 13A. (a) There shall be within the department an Emergency Medical Services
68	68	38System Executive Council, consisting of the commissioner or a designee; the state medical
69	69	39director, or a designee; 2 directors of regional emergency medical services councils, or their
70	70	40designees, provided that each regional emergency medical service council shall be represented
71	71	41on the executive council for at least 1 term every 10 years; 2 medical directors of regional
72	72	42emergency medical services councils, or their designee, provided that, each regional emergency
73	73	43medical service council shall be represented on the executive council for at least 1 term every 10
74	74	44years; the director of the office of preparedness and emergency management at the department of
75	75	45public health, or a designee; and 12 members appointed by the commissioner, or their designees,
76	76	46as follows: 1 each from the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts
77	77	47Ambulance Association, the Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts, the International
78	78	48Association of EMTs and Paramedics, the Massachusetts Call/Volunteer Firefighters
79	79	49Association, the Massachusetts Association of Hospital-Based Paramedic Services,
80	80	50Massachusetts Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians, the Massachusetts
81	81	51Chapter of the American College of Surgeons, the Massachusetts Medical Society, and the 4 of 6
82	82	52Massachusetts Municipal Association; 1 from the volunteer ambulance associations; and, a
83	83	53representative of the state 911 department.
84	84	54 The commissioner shall appoint the chair of the executive council. Each appointed
85	85	55member of the executive council shall serve a term of 3 years, or until a successor is appointed
86	86	56and qualified. At least one-half of the total appointed members of executive council shall
87	87	57constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. No appointed member shall serve more than
88	88	583 terms. Appointees shall serve without compensation.
89	89	59 (b) The executive council shall meet, at a minimum, once quarterly, and, in addition to
90	90	60other powers conferred in this chapter, including, without limitation, in subsection (c) of section
91	91	613, shall assist in coordinating the efforts of all persons and agencies in the state concerned with
92	92	62the EMS system, and shall render advice on the development of the EMS system where needed,
93	93	63including, but not limited to, review of and recommendations on the submitted regional EMS
94	94	64plans.
95	95	65 The executive council, in consultation with the department, shall submit an annual report
96	96	66to the commissioner and to the clerks of the house of representatives and senate, on or before
97	97	67June 30. There shall be established by the executive council, in consultation with the department,
98	98	68advisory committees to the executive council, including, without limitation, a trauma systems
99	99	69committee. The trauma systems committee shall be chaired by the commissioner or a designee
100	100	70and shall be composed of several individuals, each identified as representing: (1) regional EMS
101	101	71councils; (2) trauma centers; and (3) community hospitals. Other committees may be established
102	102	72and constituted by the executive council, in its discretion. 5 of 6
103	103	73 SECTION 9. Section 14 of said chapter 111C, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
104	104	74inserting at the end thereof the following paragraph:-
105	105	75 The department shall make available on the office of emergency medical services website
106	106	76information regarding the complaint resolution process for complaints made pursuant to this
107	107	77section, as well as any forms or other materials required to make a complaint against any person
108	108	78certified, licensed, designated, or otherwise approved by the department under this chapter.
109	109	79 SECTION 10. The department, in consultation with the executive council and the
110	110	80regional councils, shall study and make recommendations for potential permanent funding
111	111	81sources and mechanisms to support the office of emergency medical services, the regional
112	112	82councils, and central medical emergency direction centers. The department shall issue a report,
113	113	83with findings and recommendations, to the clerks of the house of representatives and senate, as
114	114	84well as the house and senate committees on ways and means, by December 1, 2019.
115	115	85 SECTION 11. There shall be an emergency medical services peer licensure advisory
116	116	86committee, which shall consist of the commissioner or a designee, the director of the office of
117	117	87emergency medical services or a designee, and 6 members appointed by the commissioner, or
118	118	88their designees, as follows: 1 each from the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts, the
119	119	89Massachusetts Call/Volunteer Firefighters Association, the Professional Fire Chiefs Association
120	120	90of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Ambulance Association, the Massachusetts Association of
121	121	91Hospital-Based Paramedic Services, and the International Association of EMTs and Paramedics.
122	122	92 The advisory committee shall meet, at a minimum, twice annually to advise the
123	123	93department on the complaint resolution process and disciplinary actions relative to persons
124	124	94certified, licensed, designated or otherwise approved by the department under chapter 111C. 6 of 6
125	125	95Each appointed member of this advisory council shall serve a term of 3 years, or until a
126	126	96successor is appointed and qualified. At least one-half of the total appointed members of this
127	127	97advisory council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. No appointed member
128	128	98shall serve more than 3 terms. Appointees shall serve without compensation.