Bill Text: MI SB0249 | 2023-2024 | 102nd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Health occupations: emergency medical services personnel; examinations for certain emergency medical services personnel; modify, and require certain notices from education program sponsors. Amends secs. 20904, 20912, 20950, 20952 & 20954 of 1978 PA 368 (MCL 333.20904 et seq.).
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-3)
Status: (Passed) 2024-05-23 - Assigned Pa 0048'24 [SB0249 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2023-SB0249-Introduced.html
SENATE BILL NO. 249
A bill to amend 1978 PA 368, entitled
"Public health code,"
by amending sections 20904, 20912, 20950, 20952, and 20954 (MCL 333.20904, 333.20912, 333.20950, 333.20952, and 333.20954), sections 20904, 20912, and 20954 as amended by 2000 PA 375, section 20950 as amended by 2021 PA 25, and section 20952 as added by 1990 PA 179.
the people of the state of michigan enact:
Sec. 20904. (1) "Education program sponsor" means a person, other than an individual, that meets the standards of the department to conduct training at the following levels:
(a) Medical first responder.
(b) Emergency medical technician.
(c) Emergency medical technician specialist.
(d) Paramedic.
(e) Emergency medical services instructor-coordinator.
(2) "Emergency" means a condition or situation in which an individual declares a need for immediate medical attention for any individual, or where that need is declared by emergency medical services personnel or a public safety official.
(3) "Emergency medical services instructor-coordinator" means an individual licensed under this part to conduct and instruct emergency medical services education programs.
(4) "Emergency medical services" means the emergency medical services personnel, ambulances, nontransport prehospital life support vehicles, aircraft transport vehicles, medical first response vehicles, and equipment required for transport or treatment of an individual requiring medical first response life support, basic life support, limited advanced life support, or advanced life support.
(5) "Emergency medical services personnel" means a medical first responder, emergency medical technician, emergency medical technician specialist, paramedic, or emergency medical services instructor-coordinator.
(6) "Emergency medical services system" means a comprehensive and integrated arrangement of the personnel, facilities, equipment, services, communications, medical control, and organizations necessary to provide emergency medical services and trauma care within a particular geographic region.
(7) "Emergency medical technician" means an individual who is licensed by the department to provide basic life support.
(8) "Emergency medical technician specialist" means an individual who is licensed by the department to provide limited advanced life support.
(9) "Emergency patient" means an individual with a physical or mental condition that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity, including, but not limited to, pain such that a prudent layperson, possessing average knowledge of health and medicine, could reasonably expect to result in 1 or all of the following:
(a) Placing the health of the individual or, in the case of a pregnant woman, the health of the patient or the unborn child, or both, in serious jeopardy.
(b) Serious impairment of bodily function.
(c) Serious dysfunction of a body organ or part.
(10) "Examination" means a written and practical evaluation approved or developed by the national registry of emergency medical technicians or other organization with equivalent national recognition and expertise in emergency medical services personnel testing and approved by the department.
Sec. 20912. (1) The department shall perform all of the following with regard to educational programs and services:
(a) Review and approve education program sponsors, ongoing education program sponsors, and curricula for emergency medical services personnel. Approved education programs and refresher programs shall must be coordinated by a licensed emergency medical services instructor-coordinator commensurate with level of licensure. Approved programs conducted by ongoing education program sponsors shall must be coordinated by a licensed emergency medical services instructor-coordinator.
(b) Maintain a listing of approved education program sponsors and licensed emergency medical services instructor-coordinators.
(c) Develop and implement standards for all education program sponsors and ongoing education program sponsors based upon criteria recommended by the emergency medical services coordination committee and developed by the department.
(2) An education program sponsor that conducts education programs for paramedics and that receives accreditation from the joint review committee on educational programs for the EMT-paramedic or other organization approved by the department as having equivalent expertise and competency in the accreditation of paramedic education programs is considered approved by the department under subsection (1)(a) if the education program sponsor meets both of the following requirements:
(a) Submits an application to the department that includes verification of accreditation described in this subsection.
(b) Maintains accreditation as described in this subsection.
(3) Before offering an education program to an individual seeking to become licensed as a paramedic, an education program sponsor that is not accredited as described under subsection (2) shall inform the individual that the education program sponsor is not accredited as described under subsection (2).
Sec. 20950. (1) An individual shall not practice or advertise to practice as a medical first responder, emergency medical technician, emergency medical technician specialist, paramedic, or emergency medical services instructor-coordinator unless licensed by the department under this section.
(2) The department shall issue a license under this section only to an individual who meets all of the following requirements:
(a) Is 18 years of age or older.
(b) Meets either of the following requirements:
(i) Has successfully completed the appropriate education program approved under section 20912.
(ii) While serving as a member of the armed forces, served as a military health care specialist and was separated from service with an honorable character of service or under an honorable conditions (general) character of service in the 2-year period preceding the date the license application is filed. The applicant shall provide a form DD214, DD215, or any other form that is satisfactory to the department to meet the criteria established in this subparagraph. This subparagraph only applies to an applicant for a license as an emergency medical technician.
(c) Subject to subsection (3), has attained a passing score on the appropriate department prescribed examination, as follows:
(i) A medical first responder must pass the written examination proctored by the department or the department's designee and a practical examination approved by the department. The instructors of the medical first responder course shall administer the practical examination. The department or the department's designee may also proctor the practical examination. The individual shall pay the fee for the written examination required under this subparagraph directly to the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians or other organization approved by the department. As used in this subparagraph, "examination" means an evaluation approved or developed by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians or another organization with equivalent national recognition and expertise in emergency medical services personnel testing and approved by the department.
(ii) An emergency medical technician , or emergency medical technician specialist , or paramedic must pass the written examination proctored by the department or the department's designee and a practical examination proctored by the department or the department's designee. The individual shall pay the fee for the written examination required under this subparagraph directly to the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians or other organization approved by the department. As used in this subparagraph, "examination" means an evaluation approved or developed by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians or another organization with equivalent national recognition and expertise in emergency medical services personnel testing and approved by the department.
(iii) A paramedic must pass either of the following:
(A) A written and practical examination developed or prescribed by the department other than an examination defined in sub-subparagraph (B).
(B) The written examination proctored by the department or the department's designee and a practical examination proctored by the department or the department's designee. An individual who takes the examination described in this sub-subparagraph shall pay the fee for the examination directly to the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians or another organization approved by the department. As used in this sub-subparagraph, "examination" means an evaluation approved or developed by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians or another organization with equivalent national recognition and expertise in emergency medical services personnel testing and approved by the department.
(d) Meets other requirements of this part.
(3) The department shall require for purposes of compliance with subsection (2)(c) successful passage by each first-time applicant of an the applicable examination described in that subsection. Not later than 2 years after the effective date of the amendatory act that added this sentence, the department shall develop or prescribe the examination described in subsection (2)(c)(iii)(A).
(4) The department shall issue a license as an emergency medical services instructor-coordinator only to an individual who meets the requirements of subsection (2) for an emergency medical services instructor-coordinator and at the time of application is currently licensed as a medical first responder, emergency medical technician, emergency medical technician specialist, or paramedic and has at least 3 years' field experience with a licensed life support agency as a medical first responder, emergency medical technician, emergency medical technician specialist, or paramedic. The department shall provide for the development and administration of an examination for emergency medical services instructor-coordinators. The license must specify the level of instruction-coordination the individual is licensed to provide. An emergency medical services instructor-coordinator shall not instruct or coordinate emergency medical training courses at a level that exceeds his or her designated level of licensure and for which he or she does not have at least 3 years' field experience at that level of licensure.
(5) Except as otherwise provided in section 20952, a license under this section is effective for 3 years from the date of issuance unless revoked or suspended by the department.
(6) Except as otherwise provided in this section, an applicant for licensure under this section shall pay the following triennial licensure fees:
(a) Medical first responder - no fee.
(b) Emergency medical technician - $40.00.
(c) Emergency medical technician specialist - $60.00.
(d) Paramedic - $80.00.
(e) Emergency medical services instructor-coordinator - $100.00.
(7) If a life support agency certifies to the department that an applicant for licensure under this section will act as a volunteer and if the life support agency does not charge for its services, the department shall not require the applicant to pay the fee required under subsection (6). If the applicant ceases to meet the definition of a volunteer under this part at any time during the effective period of his or her license and is employed as a licensee under this part, the applicant shall at that time pay the fee required under subsection (6).
(8) The department shall waive the fee required under subsection (6) for the initial license if the applicant for initial licensure was separated from service with an honorable character of service or under honorable conditions (general) character of service in the armed forces. The applicant shall provide a form DD214, DD215, or any other form that is satisfactory to the department to be eligible for the waiver of the fee under this subsection.
(9) The department may charge a fee for an applicant taking the examination described in section 20950(2)(c)(iii)(A), in an amount that does not exceed the fee for an applicant taking the examination described in section 20950(2)(c)(iii)(B).
(10) (9) As used in this section, "armed forces" means that term as defined in section 16103.
Sec. 20952. (1) The department may grant a nonrenewable temporary license to an individual who has made proper application with the required fee for licensure as a medical first responder, emergency medical technician, emergency medical technician specialist, or paramedic and who has successfully completed all of the requirements for licensure except for the department prescribed examinations described in section 20950. A temporary license is valid for 120 days from the date of an accepted application.
(2) An individual holding a temporary license as an emergency medical technician shall practice only under the direct supervision of an emergency medical technician, emergency medical technician specialist, or paramedic who holds a license other than a temporary license.
(3) An individual holding a temporary license as an emergency medical technician specialist shall practice only under the direct supervision of an emergency medical technician specialist or paramedic who holds a license other than a temporary license.
(4) An individual holding a temporary license as a paramedic shall practice only under the direct supervision of a paramedic who holds a license other than a temporary license.
Sec. 20954. (1) Upon proper application to the department and payment of the renewal fee under subsection (2), the department may renew an emergency medical services personnel license if the applicant meets the requirements of this part and provides, upon request of the department, verification of having met ongoing education requirements established by the department. If an applicant for renewal fails to provide the department with a change of address, the applicant shall pay a $20.00 fee in addition to the renewal and late fees required under subsections (2) and (3).
(2) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (5), an applicant for renewal of a license under section 20950 shall pay a renewal fee as follows:
(a) Medical first responder - no fee.
(b) Emergency medical technician - $25.00.
(c) Emergency medical technician specialist - $25.00.
(d) Paramedic - $25.00.
(e) Emergency medical services instructor-coordinator - $25.00.
(3) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (5), if an application for renewal under subsection (1) is postmarked after the date the license expires, the applicant shall pay a late fee in addition to the renewal fee under subsection (2) as follows:
(a) Medical first responder - $50.00.
(b) Emergency medical technician - $50.00.
(c) Emergency medical technician specialist - $50.00.
(d) Paramedic - $50.00.
(e) Emergency medical services instructor-coordinator - $50.00.
(4) A license or registration shall must be renewed by the licensee on or before the expiration date as prescribed by rule. The department shall mail a notice to the licensee at the last known address on file with the department advising of the time, procedure, and fee for renewal. Failure of the licensee to receive notice under this subsection does not relieve the licensee of the responsibility for renewing his or her license. A license not renewed by the expiration date may be renewed within 60 days of the expiration date upon application, payment of renewal and late renewal fees, and fulfillment of any continued continuing education requirements set forth in rules promulgated under this article. The licensee may continue to practice and use the title during the 60-day period. If a license is not so renewed within 60 days of the expiration date, the license is void. The licensee shall not practice or use the title. An individual may be relicensed within 3 years of the expiration date upon application, payment of the application processing, renewal, and late renewal fees, and fulfillment of any continuing education requirements in effect at the time of the expiration date, or that would have been required had the individual renewed his or her license pursuant to subsection (1). An individual may be relicensed more than 3 years after the expiration date upon application as a new applicant, meeting all licensure requirements in effect at the time of application, taking or retaking and passing any applicable examinations described in section 20950 required for initial licensure, and payment of fees required of new applicants.
(5) If a life support agency certifies to the department that an applicant for renewal under this section is a volunteer and if the life support agency does not charge for its services, the department shall not require the applicant to pay the fee required under subsection (2) or a late fee under subsection (3). If the applicant for renewal ceases to meet the definition of a volunteer under this part at any time during the effective period of his or her license renewal and is employed as a licensee under this part, the applicant for renewal shall at that time pay the fee required under subsection (2).
(6) An individual seeking renewal under this section is not required to maintain national registry status as a condition of license renewal.
