AB 450: Paramedic Disciplinary Review Board.

Existing law establishes the Emergency Medical Services Authority to establish training standards for emergency medical technicians at various levels and to issue EMT-P licenses, among other things. Existing law authorizes the authority to take disciplinary action against an EMT-P licenseholder, including to suspend or revoke a license and to assess administrative fines. Existing law creates the Emergency Medical Services Personnel Fund, which, upon appropriation of the Legislature, is used by the authority for its testing and licensure program, and into which specified fees are deposited.

This bill would create the Paramedic Disciplinary Review Board to act on appeals regarding the authoritys denial of licensure and decision to impose licensure action on and after January 1, 2023. The bill would specify the composition and appointment of the 7-member board. The bill would require the employer of a paramedic to report to the director of the authority and the board regarding the suspension or termination of a paramedic for cause within 72 hours of the event, and would require the board to consider employer-imposed discipline and other criteria to aid it in making a final determination regarding appeals of licensure action. The duties and activities of the board would be funded, upon appropriation by the Legislature, by the Emergency Medical Services Personnel Fund. The bill would also make technical and conforming changes.

Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest.

This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.