A5278

An Act concerning the “Emergency Medical Technician Training Fund” and amending P.L.1992, c.143.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. Section 4 of P.L.1992, c.143 (C.26:2K-57) is amended to read as follows:

4. a. The commissioner, in accordance with recommendations adopted by the council, and within the limits of those monies in the fund, shall annually reimburse [any private agency, organization or entity] an ambulance, first aid and rescue squad which is certified by the commissioner to provide training and testing for [volunteer ambulance, first aid and rescue squad personnel] individuals who are seeking certification as an emergency medical [technician-ambulance, or EMT-A, or emergency medical technician-defibrillation, or EMT-D, certification or recertification, or an entity which provides an educational program in the administration of epinephrine auto-injector devices that is approved by the commissioner pursuant to P.L.2003, c.1 (C.26:2K-47.1 et al.), and] technician. An ambulance, first aid and rescue squad shall be eligible for reimbursement from the fund for the costs of providing training and testing for initial certification as an emergency medical technician to a member or prospective member of the squad, for which costs that [entity] squad is not otherwise reimbursed. An ambulance, first aid and rescue squad shall be eligible for reimbursement from the fund regardless of whether the squad receives any payment or reimbursement for providing emergency medical services. An ambulance, first aid and rescue squad shall not be eligible for reimbursement from the fund for the costs of: providing training and testing for recertification as an emergency medical technician; providing training and testing for initial certification or recertification as an emergency medical technician to an individual who is not a member or prospective member of the squad; or providing training and testing to an individual for initial certification or recertification as an emergency medical technician for which the squad is otherwise reimbursed.

[The priority for reimbursement from the fund to an agency, organization or entity for training and testing of volunteer ambulance, first aid and rescue squad personnel shall be in the following order: EMT-A certification, EMT-A recertification, EMT-D certification, EMT-D recertification and certification to administer epinephrine auto-injector devices pursuant to P.L.2003, c.1 (C.26:2K-47.1 et al.).]

b. The head of each ambulance, first aid and rescue squad shall
notify the Department of Health whenever an individual who received initial emergency medical technician training from the squad, for which training the squad received reimbursement from the fund, resigns from the squad without good cause, as determined by the squad, within the individual’s initial three-year certification period, or if the individual fails to remain in good standing with the squad throughout the individual’s initial three-year certification period.

c. Each ambulance, first aid and rescue squad shall retain records for the initial three-year certification period for each individual to whom the squad provided initial emergency medical technician training, for which training the squad received reimbursement from the fund, demonstrating that, during that initial three-year certification period, the individual remained in good standing with the squad, including, but not limited to, by responding to dispatch calls, participating in drills, being on call, and participating in such other activities as the squad may require of members in good standing. At a minimum, records of good standing shall be maintained by a squad during the individual’s initial three-year certification period and for a period of one year following the end of that initial certification period.

d. An individual who received initial emergency medical services training for which reimbursement was provided from the fund to an ambulance, first aid or rescue squad shall be liable to reimburse the fund for the costs of the individual’s emergency medical technician training in an amount equal to the reimbursement paid to the squad that provided the training, in the event that the individual:

(1) resigns from the ambulance, first aid and rescue squad that provided the training without good cause within the individual’s initial three-year certification period; or

(2) fails to remain in good standing with the ambulance, first aid and rescue squad that provided the training during the individual’s initial three-year certification period,.

(cf: P.L.2003, c.1, s.9)

2. The Commissioner of Health shall adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as shall be necessary to implement the provisions of this act.

3. This act shall take effect 180 days after the date of enactment.

STATEMENT

This bill revises the requirements to receive reimbursement from the “Emergency Medical Technician Training Fund.”

Currently, any private agency, organization, or entity which is certified by the Commissioner of Health to provide training and testing for volunteer ambulance, first aid and rescue squad personnel who are seeking certification or recertification as an emergency medical technician (EMT) may be reimbursed from the fund for any costs associated with the training and testing of volunteer EMTs that are not otherwise reimbursed. Volunteer ambulance, first aid and rescue squads are eligible for reimbursement from the fund if the squad does not receive any payment for the provision of emergency medical services, regardless of whether the individual EMTs on the squad are paid by the squad for their services.

This bill would revise these requirements to provide that the fund will only provide reimbursement for initial EMT certification provided by an ambulance, first aid and rescue squad to a member or prospective member of that squad. Squads will be eligible for reimbursement from the fund regardless of whether squad receives payment or reimbursement for providing emergency medical services. Reimbursement from the fund will not be available for the costs of recertification as an EMT or for the costs of training an individual who is not a member or prospective member of the squad, or for any training and testing costs for which the squad is reimbursed from another source.

An EMT whose training is reimbursed through the fund will be required, during the EMT’s initial three-year certification period, to remain a member in good standing with the squad that provided the training. Each squad will determine its own requirements for members to remain in good standing. Squads will be required to provide the Department of Health with notice if an EMT whose training was reimbursed from the fund fails to remain in good standing with the squad, or resigns from the squad without good cause, as determined by the squad, within the EMT’s initial certification period. The squad will additionally be required to maintain documentation that the EMT met the squad’s requirements to remain in good standing throughout the initial certification period, which records will be maintained during the initial certification period and for one year after the end of the EMT’s initial certification period.

An EMT who, during the EMT’s initial certification period, resigns without good cause or fails to remain in good standing with the squad that trained the EMT will be required to reimburse the fund for the cost of the EMT’s initial training in an amount equal to the amount of reimbursement paid to the squad from the fund.

It is the sponsor’s belief that expanding the eligibility criteria for initial EMT training and certification will help encourage more people to become EMTs by minimizing the costs of initial training and certification.