SB24 - Provides for the certification and regulation of emergency medical responders. (BDR 40-292)

- 83rd Session (2025) Senate Bill No. 24–Committee on Health and Human Services CHAPTER.......... AN ACT relating to emergency medical services; providing for the certification and regulation of emergency medical responders; prescribing certain duties and authority of an emergency medical responder; prohibiting a person from representing himself or herself as an emergency medical responder without a valid certification; applying certain legal protections for emergency medical services to emergency medical responders; authorizing the collection of certain data from an applicant for the renewal of a certificate as an emergency medical responder; requiring the reporting of certain data concerning veterans who apply for and receive certification as an emergency medical responder; providing a penalty; and providing other matters properly relating thereto. Legislative Counsel’s Digest: Existing law provides for the certification and regulation of emergency medical technicians, advanced emergency medical technicians and paramedics: (1) in a county whose population is 700,000 or more (currently only Clark County), the district board of health; or (2) in a county whose population is less than 700,000 (currently all counties other than Clark County), the State Board of Health and the Division of Public and Behavioral Health of the Department of Health and Human Services. (NRS 450B.060, 450B.077, 450B.130, 450B.180, 450B.1905-450B.1975) Existing regulations provide for the certification of emergency medical responders. (NAC 450B.355) Sections 4, 6, 8 and 9 of this bill codify into law provisions for the certification and regulation of emergency medical responders by the same entities responsible for certifying and regulating emergency medical technicians, advanced emergency medical technicians and paramedics. Section 2 of this bill defines the term “emergency medical responder.” Section 3 of this bill applies the definition set forth in section 2 to the provisions governing emergency medical services. Section 10 of this bill prohibits a person from representing himself or herself as an emergency medical responder unless the person holds a valid certification as an emergency medical responder. A person who violates this prohibition is guilty of a misdemeanor and is also subject to administrative penalties. (NRS 450B.900) Sections 1, 5, 7 and 11-28 of this bill make various revisions so that emergency medical responders are treated similarly to emergency medical technicians with regard to: (1) workplace safety, legal protections and benefits; (2) the submission of written nominations by employee organizations for appointment to the Committee on Emergency Medical Services; (3) the applicability of provisions governing the withholding of life-sustaining treatment; (4) the authority to administer auto-injectable epinephrine and opioid antagonists; (5) the collection of certain data; (6) legal protections for certain providers of health care who provide instruction to emergency medical personnel at the scene of an emergency or while transporting a sick or injured person; (7) the staffing of certain facilities; and (8) certain other provisions governing reporting and the retention of records. – 2 – - 83rd Session (2025) EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. NRS 441A.195 is hereby amended to read as follows: 441A.195 1. Except as otherwise provided in NRS 259.047, a law enforcement officer, correctional officer, emergency medical attendant, firefighter, county coroner or medical examiner or any of their employees or volunteers, any other person who is employed by or is a volunteer for an agency of criminal justice or any other public employee or volunteer for a public agency who, in the course of his or her official duties, comes into contact with human blood or bodily fluids, or the employer of such a person or the public agency for which the person volunteers, may petition a court for an order requiring the testing of a person or decedent for exposure to a communicable disease if: (a) The officer, emergency medical attendant, firefighter, county coroner or medical examiner or their employee or volunteer, other person employed by or volunteering for an agency of criminal justice or other public employee or volunteer for a public agency was likely exposed to a communicable disease; and (b) Testing of the person or decedent is necessary to determine the appropriate treatment for the officer, emergency medical attendant, firefighter, county coroner, medical examiner, employee or volunteer. 2. When possible, before filing a petition pursuant to subsection 1, the person, employer or public agency for which the person volunteers, and who is petitioning shall submit information concerning the likely exposure to a communicable disease to the designated health care officer for the employer or public agency or, if there is no designated health care officer, the person designated by the employer or public agency to document and verify likely exposure to communicable diseases, for verification that there was substantial exposure. Each designated health care officer or person designated by an employer or public agency to document and verify likely exposure to communicable diseases shall establish guidelines based on current scientific information to determine substantial exposure. 3. A court shall promptly hear a petition filed pursuant to subsection 1 and determine whether there is probable cause to believe that a likely transfer of blood or other bodily fluids occurred – 3 – - 83rd Session (2025) between the person who filed the petition or on whose behalf the petition was filed and the person or decedent who likely exposed him or her to a communicable disease. If the court determines that such probable cause exists, the court shall: (a) Order the person who likely exposed the petitioner, or the person on whose behalf the petition was filed, to a communicable disease to submit two appropriate specimens to a local hospital or medical laboratory for testing for exposure to a communicable disease; or (b) Order that two appropriate specimens be taken from the decedent who likely exposed the petitioner, or the person on whose behalf the petition was filed, to a communicable disease and be submitted to a local hospital or medical laboratory for testing for exposure to the communicable disease.  The local hospital or medical laboratory shall perform the test in accordance with generally accepted medical practices and shall disclose the results of the test in the manner set forth in NRS 629.069. 4. If a judge or a justice of the peace enters an order pursuant to this section, the judge or justice of the peace may authorize the designated health care officer or the person designated by the employer or public agency to document and verify likely exposure to a communicable disease to sign the name of the judge or justice of the peace on a duplicate order. Such a duplicate order shall be deemed to be an order of the court. As soon as practicable after the duplicate order is signed, the duplicate order must be returned to the judge or justice of the peace who authorized the signing of it and must indicate on its face the judge or justice of the peace to whom it is to be returned. The judge or justice of the peace, upon receiving the returned order, shall endorse the order with his or her name and enter the date on which the order was returned. Any failure of the judge or justice of the peace to make such an endorsement and entry does not in and of itself invalidate the order. 5. Except as otherwise provided in NRS 629.069, all records submitted to the court in connection with a petition filed pursuant to this section and any proceedings concerning the petition are confidential and the judge or justice of the peace shall order the records and any record of the proceedings to be sealed and to be opened for inspection only upon an order of the court for good cause shown. 6. A court may establish rules to allow a judge or justice of the peace to conduct a hearing or issue an order pursuant to this section by electronic or telephonic means. – 4 – - 83rd Session (2025) 7. The employer of a person or the public agency for which the person volunteers, who files a petition or on whose behalf a petition is filed pursuant to this section or the insurer of the employer or public agency, shall pay the cost of performing the test pursuant to subsection 3. 8. As used in this section: (a) “Agency of criminal justice” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 179A.030. (b) “Emergency medical attendant” means a person who is: (1) Licensed as an attendant or certified as an emergency medical responder, emergency medical technician, advanced emergency medical technician or paramedic pursuant to chapter 450B of NRS; or (2) Authorized to practice as an emergency medical technician, advanced emergency medical technician or paramedic in this State under the Recognition of Emergency Medical Services Personnel Licensure Interstate Compact ratified by NRS 450B.145. Sec. 2. Chapter 450B of NRS is hereby amended by adding thereto a new section to read as follows: “Emergency medical responder” means a person who is certified by the health officer as having satisfactorily completed a program of training for certification as an emergency medical responder pursuant to NRS 450B.1905. Sec. 3. NRS 450B.020 is hereby amended to read as follows: 450B.020 As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires, the words and terms defined in NRS 450B.025 to 450B.110, inclusive, and section 2 of this act have the meanings ascribed to them in those sections. Sec. 4. NRS 450B.0605 is hereby amended to read as follows: 450B.0605 “Certificate” means a certificate issued by a health authority acknowledging the successful completion of a program of training as an emergency medical responder, emergency medical technician, advanced emergency medical technician or paramedic as identified on the certificate. Sec. 5. NRS 450B.0703 is hereby amended to read as follows: 450B.0703 “Emergency response employee” means a firefighter, attendant, volunteer attendant, emergency medical responder, emergency medical technician, advanced emergency medical technician, emergency medical dispatcher, paramedic, law enforcement officer, correctional officer, other peace officer or person who is employed by an agency of criminal justice, including, without limitation, a law enforcement dispatcher, county coroner or medical examiner or any of their employees, any other public – 5 – - 83rd Session (2025) employee whose duties may require him or her to come into contact with human blood or bodily fluids or any other person who, in the course of his or her professional duties, responds to emergencies in this State. Sec. 6. NRS 450B.130 is hereby amended to read as follows: 450B.130 1. The board shall adopt regulations establishing reasonable minimum standards for: (a) Sanitation in ambulances and air ambulances; (b) Medical and nonmedical equipment and supplies to be carried in ambulances and medical equipment and supplies to be carried in air ambulances and vehicles of a fire-fighting agency; (c) Interior configuration, design and dimensions of ambulances placed in service after July 1, 1979; (d) Permits for operation of ambulances, air ambulances and vehicles of a fire-fighting agency; (e) Records to be maintained by an operator of an ambulance or air ambulance or by a fire-fighting agency; and (f) Treatment of patients who are critically ill or in urgent need of treatment. 2. Any regulations adopted by the board pursuant to subsection 1 establishing reasonable minimum standards for a permit for the operation of an air ambulance or records to be maintained by an operator of an air ambulance must: (a) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b), be based on the medical aspects of the operation of an air ambulance, including, without limitation, aspects related to patient care; and (b) Not be based on economic factors, including, without limitation, factors related to the prices, routes or nonmedical services of an air ambulance. 3. The health officers of this state shall jointly adopt regulations to establish the minimum standards for the certification or licensure of persons who provide emergency medical care. Upon adoption of the regulations, each health authority shall adopt the regulations for its jurisdiction. After each health authority adopts the regulations, the standards established constitute the minimum standards for certification or licensure of persons who provide emergency medical care in this state. Any changes to the minimum standards must be adopted jointly by the health officers and by each health authority in the manner set forth in this subsection. Any changes in the minimum standards which are not adopted in the manner set forth in this subsection are void. 4. A health officer may adopt regulations that impose additional requirements for the certification or licensure of persons – 6 – - 83rd Session (2025) who provide emergency medical care in the jurisdiction of the health officer, but the health officer must accept the certification or licensure of a person who provides emergency medical care from the jurisdiction of another health officer as proof that the person who provides emergency medical care has met the minimum requirements for certification or licensure. 5. As used in this section, “person who provides emergency medical care” means an emergency medical responder, emergency medical technician, advanced emergency medical technician, paramedic, attendant of an ambulance or air ambulance or firefighter employed by or serving with a fire-fighting agency. Sec. 7. NRS 450B.151 is hereby amended to read as follows: 450B.151 1. The Committee on Emergency Medical Services, consisting of 11 members appointed by the State Board of Health, is hereby created. 2. Upon request of the State Board of Health, employee associations that represent persons that provide emergency medical services, including, without limitation, physicians and nurses that provide emergency medical services, emergency medical responders, emergency medical technicians, ambulance attendants, firefighters, fire chiefs and employees of rural hospitals, shall submit to the State Board of Health written nomi [Text truncated for display. Full text available on LegiScan.]