Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S1367 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 838 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1367
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Paul R. Feeney
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 :Paul R. FeeneyBristol and Norfolk 1 of 6
16	16	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 838 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
17	17	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1367
18	18	By Mr. Feeney, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1367) of Paul R. Feeney for
19	19	legislation to modernize emergency medical services oversight. Public Health.
20	20	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
21	21	SEE SENATE, NO. 1434 OF 2021-2022.]
22	22	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
23	23	_______________
24	24	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
25	25	(2023-2024)
26	26	_______________
27	27	An Act relative to emergency medical services oversight.
28	28	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
29	29	of the same, as follows:
30	30	1 SECTION 1. Paragraph (6) of subsection (b) of section 3 of chapter 111C, as appearing
31	31	2in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “years”, in line 32,
32	32	3the following words:- , provided that, such plan shall include guidelines for clear and streamlined
33	33	4communication between the regional councils and the department.
34	34	5 SECTION 2. Subsection (c) of said section 3 of said chapter 111C, as so appearing, is
35	35	6hereby amended by striking out the word “board”, in line 101, and inserting in place thereof the
36	36	7following words:- “executive council”.
37	37	8 SECTION 3. Section 4 of said chapter 111C, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
38	38	9striking out paragraph (3) of subsection (c) in its entirety. 2 of 6
39	39	10 SECTION 4. Paragraph (6) of subsection (c) of said section 4 of said chapter 111C, as so
40	40	11appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the words “input from”, in line 50, the following
41	41	12words:- , and communication to, .
42	42	13 SECTION 5. Said section 4 of said chapter 111C, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
43	43	14inserting after subsection (c) the following section:-
44	44	15 (d) Each regional EMS council shall prepare and annually file with the department and
45	45	16the executive council, on or before May 30, a regional EMS services and support plan outlining
46	46	17the regional EMS council’s planned efforts to meet and advance the regional EMS council’s
47	47	18roles and responsibilities, as outlined in section 4(c) of this chapter. Each regional EMS plan
48	48	19shall be consistent with the state EMS plan, although it may reflect regional differences. Each
49	49	20regional EMS system plan shall also include, without limitation, a trauma plan consisting of, at a
50	50	21minimum, trauma point of entry guidelines and scene triage criteria.
51	51	22 Upon submission, the department may amend each regional EMS council contract,
52	52	23subject to appropriation and to the guidelines provided by section 5 of this chapter, to reflect and
53	53	24respond to the submitted regional EMS plans.
54	54	25 SECTION 6. Subsection (d) of section 5 of said chapter 111C, as so appearing, is hereby
55	55	26amended by inserting after the word “regions”, in line 18, the following words:- , as well as the
56	56	27regional council’s annual submitted regional EMS plan.
57	57	28 SECTION 7. Section 13 of said chapter 111C, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
58	58	29striking out subsection (b) and inserting in place thereof the following subsection:- 3 of 6
59	59	30 (b) The board shall meet, at a minimum, once annually and serve in a general advisory
60	60	31capacity to the executive council established in section 13A, and the department, in coordinating
61	61	32the efforts of all persons and agencies in the state concerned with the EMS system, and shall
62	62	33render advice on the development of the EMS system where needed. At least one-half of the total
63	63	34appointed members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
64	64	35 SECTION 8. Said chapter 111C, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after
65	65	36section 13 the following section:-
66	66	37 Section 13A. (a) There shall be within the department an Emergency Medical Services
67	67	38System Executive Council, consisting of the commissioner or a designee; the state medical
68	68	39director, or a designee; 2 directors of regional emergency medical services councils, or their
69	69	40designees, provided that each regional emergency medical service council shall be represented
70	70	41on the executive council for at least 1 term every 10 years; 2 medical directors of regional
71	71	42emergency medical services councils, or their designee, provided that, each regional emergency
72	72	43medical service council shall be represented on the executive council for at least 1 term every 10
73	73	44years; the director of the office of preparedness and emergency management at the department of
74	74	45public health, or a designee; and 12 members appointed by the commissioner, or their designees,
75	75	46as follows: 1 each from the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts
76	76	47Ambulance Association, the Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts, the International
77	77	48Association of EMTs and Paramedics, the Massachusetts Call/Volunteer Firefighters
78	78	49Association, the Massachusetts Association of Hospital-Based Paramedic Services,
79	79	50Massachusetts Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians, the Massachusetts
80	80	51Chapter of the American College of Surgeons, the Massachusetts Medical Society, and the 4 of 6
81	81	52Massachusetts Municipal Association; 1 from the volunteer ambulance associations; and, a
82	82	53representative of the state 911 department.
83	83	54 The commissioner shall appoint the chair of the executive council. Each appointed
84	84	55member of the executive council shall serve a term of 3 years, or until a successor is appointed
85	85	56and qualified. At least one-half of the total appointed members of executive council shall
86	86	57constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. No appointed member shall serve more than
87	87	583 terms. Appointees shall serve without compensation.
88	88	59 (b) The executive council shall meet, at a minimum, once quarterly, and, in addition to
89	89	60other powers conferred in this chapter, including, without limitation, in subsection (c) of section
90	90	613, shall assist in coordinating the efforts of all persons and agencies in the state concerned with
91	91	62the EMS system, and shall render advice on the development of the EMS system where needed,
92	92	63including, but not limited to, review of and recommendations on the submitted regional EMS
93	93	64plans.
94	94	65 The executive council, in consultation with the department, shall submit an annual report
95	95	66to the commissioner and to the clerks of the house of representatives and senate, on or before
96	96	67June 30. There shall be established by the executive council, in consultation with the department,
97	97	68advisory committees to the executive council, including, without limitation, a trauma systems
98	98	69committee. The trauma systems committee shall be chaired by the commissioner or a designee
99	99	70and shall be composed of several individuals, each identified as representing: (1) regional EMS
100	100	71councils; (2) trauma centers; and (3) community hospitals. Other committees may be established
101	101	72and constituted by the executive council, in its discretion. 5 of 6
102	102	73 SECTION 9. Section 14 of said chapter 111C, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
103	103	74inserting the following paragraph:-
104	104	75 The department shall make available on the office of emergency medical services website
105	105	76information regarding the complaint resolution process for complaints made pursuant to this
106	106	77section, as well as any forms or other materials required to make a complaint against any person
107	107	78certified, licensed, designated, or otherwise approved by the department under this chapter.
108	108	79 SECTION 10. The department, in consultation with the executive council and the
109	109	80regional councils, shall study and make recommendations for potential permanent funding
110	110	81sources and mechanisms to support the office of emergency medical services, the regional
111	111	82councils, and central medical emergency direction centers. The department shall issue a report,
112	112	83with findings and recommendations, to the clerks of the house of representatives and senate, as
113	113	84well as the house and senate committees on ways and means, by December 1, 2024.
114	114	85 SECTION 11. There shall be an emergency medical services peer licensure advisory
115	115	86committee, which shall consist of the commissioner or a designee, the director of the office of
116	116	87emergency medical services or a designee, and 6 members appointed by the commissioner, or
117	117	88their designees, as follows: 1 each from the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts, the
118	118	89Massachusetts Call/Volunteer Firefighters Association, the Professional Fire Chiefs Association
119	119	90of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Ambulance Association, the Massachusetts Association of
120	120	91Hospital-Based Paramedic Services, and the International Association of EMTs and Paramedics.
121	121	92 The advisory committee shall meet, at a minimum, twice annually to advise the
122	122	93department on the complaint resolution process and disciplinary actions relative to persons
123	123	94certified, licensed, designated or otherwise approved by the department under chapter 111C. 6 of 6
124	124	95Each appointed member of this advisory council shall serve a term of 3 years, or until a
125	125	96successor is appointed and qualified. At least one-half of the total appointed members of this
126	126	97advisory council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. No appointed member
127	127	98shall serve more than 3 terms. Appointees shall serve without compensation.