EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0515*
SENATE BILL 515
J1, F2, M1 EMERGENCY BILL 2lr1287
By: Senator Young
Introduced and read first time: January 28, 2022
Assigned to: Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
State Emergency Medical Services Board – Park Services Associates – 2
Certification as Emergency Medical Responders 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the State Emergency Medical Services Board to credit certain 4
training and education completed by a certain park services associate toward 5
certification as an emergency medical responder; prohibiting the EMS Board from 6
charging certain fees to any individual who is a certain park services associate; 7
providing for the issuance of temporary certification as an emergency medical 8
responder to certain park services associates and a process for issuing permanent 9
certification to certain park services associates under certain circumstances; and 10
generally relating to park services associates and certification as emergency medical 11
responders. 12
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 13
Article – Education 14
Section 13–516(a)(1) and (5) 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2018 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 17
BY adding to 18
Article – Education 19
Section 13–516(b–2) 20
Annotated Code of Maryland 21
(2018 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 22
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 23
Article – Education 24
Section 13–516(c) 25
Annotated Code of Maryland 26
(2018 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 27
2 SENATE BILL 515
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 2
Article – Education 3
13–516. 4
(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 5
(5) “Emergency medical responder” means an individual who has: 6
(i) Completed an emergency medical responder course approved by 7
the EMS Board, or its equivalent as determined by the EMS Board; 8
(ii) Demonstrated competence in medical protocols as determined by 9
the EMS Board; 10
(iii) Been examined by the EMS Board or by a basic life support 11
education program approved by the EMS Board; and 12
(iv) Been certified as an emergency medical responder by the EMS 13
Board. 14
(B–2) THE EMS BOARD SHALL CRE DIT ANY TRAINING AND EDUCATION 15
COMPLETED BY A PARK SERVICES ASSOCIATE EMPLOYED B Y THE PARK SERVICE 16
WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES TOWARD ANY TRAINING OR 17
EDUCATION REQUIREMEN TS FOR CERTIFICATION AS AN EMERGENCY MEDICAL 18
RESPONDER BY THE EMS BOARD IF THE TRAINING OR E DUCATION IS DETERMIN ED 19
BY THE EMS BOARD TO BE: 20
(1) SUBSTANTIALLY EQUIVAL ENT TO THE TRAINING OR EDUCATION 21
REQUIRED BY THE EMS BOARD; AND 22
(2) NOT OTHERWISE CONTRAR Y TO ANY OTHER LICEN SING 23
REQUIREMENT . 24
(c) (1) To apply for a license or certificate, an individual shall: 25
(i) Submit an application on the form that the EMS Board requires; 26
and 27
(ii) Pay to the EMS Board any application fee set by the EMS Board 28
under subsection (m) of this section. 29
SENATE BILL 515 3
(2) (I) The EMS Board may not charge a licensing, certifying, testing, 1
or retesting fee to any individual who is a member or employee of any governmental or 2
volunteer fire, rescue, or emergency medical services company at the date of application. 3
(II) THE EMS BOARD MAY NOT CHARGE A LICENSING , 4
CERTIFYING, TESTING, OR RETESTING FEE FOR CERTIFICATION AS AN EMERGENCY 5
MEDICAL RESPONDER TO ANY INDIVIDUAL WHO I S A PARK SERVICES ASSOCIATE 6
EMPLOYED BY THE PARK SERVICE WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL 7
RESOURCES A T THE DATE OF APPLIC ATION. 8
(3) The EMS Board shall provide for the term and renewal of licenses or 9
certificates issued under this section. 10
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That: 11
(a) (1) Beginning on the effective date of this Act, each State employee 12
classified as a park services associate in the Park Service within the Department of Natural 13
Resources who submits proof to the State Emergency Medical Services Board of completing 14
training or education that is equivalent to the training or education required for 15
certification as an emergency medical responder shall be deemed to have a temporary 16
certification as an emergency medical responder. 17
(2) The Department may not charge a fee or require the passage of an 18
examination for the temporary certification of a park services associate who meets the 19
requirements under paragraph (1) of this subsection. 20
(3) Temporary certification under paragraph (1) of this subsection expires 21
on December 31, 2024. 22
(4) To receive certification as an emergency medical responder after 23
temporary certification expires under paragraph (3) of this subsection, an individual shall 24
apply for certification under § 13–516 of the Education Article. 25
(b) (1) On or before July 1, 2023, the State Emergency Medical Services Board 26
shall complete a review of the training records for all park services associates in the Park 27
Service to identify those individuals whose training meets the training requirements for 28
certification as an emergency medical responder under § 13–516 of the Education Article. 29
(2) On or before July 1, 2024, the EMS Board shall offer at least twice to 30
each individual identified under paragraph (1) of this subsection: 31
(i) the examination for certification as an emergency medical 32
responder administered by the EMS Board; and 33
(ii) information regarding any other requirements the individual is 34
required to meet in order to become a certified emergency medical responder. 35 4 SENATE BILL 515
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act is an emergency 1
measure, is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health or safety, has 2
been passed by a yea and nay vote supported by three–fifths of all the members elected to 3
each of the two Houses of the General Assembly, and shall take effect from the date it is 4
enacted. 5