HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1213

                    As Passed Legislature

Title:  An act relating to training of emergency service medical personnel.

Brief Description:  Revising provisions relating to liability in training of emergency service medical personnel.

Sponsors:  Representatives Brumsickle, Grant, Cody, Basich and McMahan.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Health Care:  2/17/95 [DP];

Law & Justice:  3/1/95 [DP].

  Floor Activity:

     Passed House:  3/7/95, 96-0.

Passed Legislature.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH CARE

Majority Report:  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).

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON LAW & JUSTICE

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 17 members:  Representatives Padden, Chairman; Delvin, Vice Chairman; Hickel, Vice Chairman; Appelwick, Ranking Minority Member; Costa, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Campbell; Carrell; Chappell; Cody; Lambert; McMahan; Morris; Robertson; Sheahan; Smith; Thibaudeau and Veloria.

Staff:  Bill Perry (786-7123).

Background:  Immunity from legal liability is accorded emergency service medical personnel while rendering emergency medical services in good faith under the supervision of physicians or approved medical program directors.  It also extends to the supervising physicians, medical program directors, hospitals, training agencies or training physicians, ambulance services, or governmental units and their employees.

The Department of Health must defend and hold harmless the medical program directors in matters related to the good faith performance of their duties.

Immunity from liability does not relieve any physician or hospital from any duty otherwise imposed by law for the designation or training of emergency service medical personnel, nor for any duty for the provision or maintenance of equipment.

However, there is no immunity from legal liability for any training provided to emergency service medical personnel.

Summary of Bill:  Immunity from legal liability is accorded to the those entities and personnel that render services in training emergency service medical personnel for certification or recertification.

The department must defend or hold harmless hospitals and hospital personnel involved in training emergency services medical personnel for certification or recertification.

The act takes effect immediately.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not Requested.

Effective Date:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

Testimony For:  (Health Care)  Emergency service medical personnel need immunity when providing training for certification.

 (Law & Justice)  The bill is necessary to allow continued emergency medical training, especially in rural areas of smaller counties.

Testimony Against:  (Health Care)  None.

 (Law & Justice)  None.

Testified:  (Health Care)  Robb Menaul, Washington State Hospital Association (pro); and Steve Hubbard, Governor's Committee on Emergency Medical Services.

  (Law & Justice)  Representative Brumsickle, prime sponsor (pro); and Susie Tracy, Washington State Medical Association and Washington State Council of Fire Fighters (pro).