HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 SHB 1427

                      As Passed House:

                        March 8, 1995

Title:  An act relating to emergency medical service professionals.

Brief Description:  Modifying provisions for emergency medical service professionals.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on Health Care (originally sponsored by Representatives Dyer, Dellwo, Backlund, Thibaudeau and Skinner).

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Health Care:  2/16/95 [DPS].

  Floor Actitivy:

     Passed House:  3/8/95, 98-0.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH CARE

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 13 members:  Representatives Dyer, Chairman; Backlund, Vice Chairman; Hymes, Vice Chairman; Dellwo, Ranking Minority Member; Cody, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Campbell; Casada; Conway; Crouse; Kessler; Morris; Sherstad and Skinner.

Staff:  John Welsh (786-7133).

Background:  Emergency medical service personnel are certified by the Department of Health or the University of Washington School of Medicine to practice emergency medical services. Currently, categories of emergency medical personnel include:  mobile intravenous therapy technicians, mobile airway management technicians, and mobile intensive care paramedics.

The specification of training standards and practice parameters for the different categories of emergency medical services personnel are specified by law.

Summary of Bill:  The specific levels of emergency medical service personnel are repealed and defined categorically as "emergency medical service intermediate life support technicians and paramedics."

Practice parameters and training standards of  levels of emergency medical service intermediate life support technicians and paramedics are to be promulgated by rule by the Department of Health, in conjunction with the Emergency Medical Services Licensing and Certification Advisory Committee and the Medical Quality Assurance Commission.

The practice activities of emergency medical services personnel are subject to express orders of medical program directors, and do not include free-standing or non-directed actions or non-emergency or life-threatening conditions.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on February 13, 1995.

Effective Date of Bill:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  The various levels of emergency personnel are changing and their designations should be set by rule rather than statute.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Steve Hubbard, Governor's Commission on Emergency Medical Services; and Byron Byrne, Seattle/King County Health - EMS Division.