Establishes a community-based paramedicine demonstration program to operate with the flexibility authorized under Executive Order Number 4 of 2021, and in the same manner and capacity as currently approved for a period of two year.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A6683B
SPONSOR: Paulin
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to establishing a
community-based paramedicine demonstration program; and providing for
the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To allow the current community-based paramedicine programs to continue
for an additional two years; require an expert advisory panel and evalu-
ation by the Department of Health
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends Public Health Law to establish a community paramedicine
demonstration program. This program will allow the current programs
operating under the authority of Executive order 4 of 2021 to continue
and provide the same flexibilities allowed under such order. Nothing in
this section shall be deemed to allow a person to provide any service
for which a license, registration, certification or other authorization
under title 8 of the education law is required and which the person does
not possess, provided that any services being excluded shall not include
a service that is within the scope of practice for the respective EMS
personnel. Additionally, the bill provides for an expert advisory panel
as well as an evaluation of the demonstration program.
Section 2 provides the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Many communities around New York have established community paramedicine
programs that allow for EMT's and advanced EMT's to better serve the
public. These programs have grown organically and are very specific to
the needs of the specific service area. Under Executive order 4. of 2021
and its subsequent extensions issued by Governor Hochul, there is
specific flexibilities allowed to help facilitate these programs. If and
when the Executive order authority expires the programs will lose their
ability to operate in many instances. This legislation allows for the
continuation of the existing programs.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
None
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be deemed
repealed 2 years after such date
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
6683--B
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
April 28, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN, STIRPE, WALLACE, WOERNER, LUPARDO, McDO-
NALD, ZEBROWSKI, LUNSFORD, BRONSON, BUTTENSCHON, FAHY, FALL, LEVEN-
BERG, WALSH, MEEKS, GUNTHER, McMAHON -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Health -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -- reported and
referred to the Committee on Ways and Means -- reported and referred
to the Committee on Rules -- Rules Committee discharged, bill amended,
ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to establishing a
community-based paramedicine demonstration program; and providing for
the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new section
2 3018 to read as follows:
3 § 3018. Community-based paramedicine demonstration program. 1. The
4 department shall establish a community paramedicine demonstration
5 program to evaluate the role of emergency medical services personnel in
6 the delivery of health care services in the community in non-emergent
7 settings.
8 2. For purposes of this section, "emergency medical services person-
9 nel" shall mean an emergency medical technician, or an advanced emergen-
10 cy medical technician as defined in this article.
11 3. This program shall authorize mobile integrated and community param-
12 edicine programs presently operating and approved by the department as
13 of May eleventh, two thousand twenty-three, under the authority of Exec-
14 utive Order Number 4 of two thousand twenty-one, entitled "Declaring a
15 Statewide Disaster Emergency Due to Healthcare staffing shortages in the
16 State of New York" to continue in the same manner and capacity as
17 currently approved for a period of two years following the effective
18 date of this section.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11015-10-3
A. 6683--B 2
1 4. Such program shall include but not be limited to:
2 (a) authorizing emergency medical services personnel to provide
3 services within their scope of practice beyond settings currently
4 authorized.
5 (b) authorizing emergency medical service personnel to provide commu-
6 nity paramedicine, use alternative destinations, telemedicine to facili-
7 tate treatment of persons in place, and such other services as may be
8 approved by the commissioner.
9 (c) authorizing emergency medical services personnel providing commu-
10 nity paramedicine services, with prior approval of the department, to
11 administer vaccinations against influenza and COVID-19 pursuant to non-
12 patient specific orders and under the medical direction of a licensed
13 physician.
14 (d) nothing in this section shall be deemed to allow a person to
15 provide any service for which a license, registration, certification or
16 other authorization under title eight of the education law is required
17 and which the person does not possess, provided that any service being
18 excluded pursuant to this paragraph shall not include a service that is
19 within the scope of practice for the respective emergency medical
20 services personnel.
21 5. Upon the effective date of this section, the department shall
22 convene a stakeholder advisory panel including patient representatives,
23 health care facilities operating or utilizing community paramedicine
24 programs, emergency medical services providers and labor organizations
25 representing emergency medical services personnel, and labor organiza-
26 tions representing nursing and other healthcare professional titles
27 affected by the demonstration program flexibilities to advise the
28 department to make recommendations on regulations and guidance that
29 will:
30 (a) evaluate patient safety and standards of care for community param-
31 edicine programs participating in the demonstration program;
32 (b) establish criteria setting forth permitted tasks that can be
33 performed by each category of emergency medical services personnel;
34 (c) establish minimum training and competencies required for emergency
35 medical services personnel to provide patient care services; and
36 (d) work with the department to issue such regulations and guidelines
37 within ninety days following the assembly of the advisory panel.
38 6. The department shall submit a report on the demonstration program
39 on an annual basis to the speaker of the assembly, the temporary presi-
40 dent of the senate, the chairs of the assembly and senate health commit-
41 tees, and the governor.
42 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
43 deemed repealed 2 years after such date; provided, however, that if this
44 act shall have become a law on or after May 22, 2023 this act shall take
45 effect immediately and shall be deemed to have been in full force and
46 effect on and after May 22, 2023.