95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
SB0525

 

Introduced 2/8/2007, by Sen. John O. Jones

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
210 ILCS 50/3.50

    Amends the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act. Provides that as a condition of licensure as an EMT, the Department of Public Health shall require an applicant for such a license to undergo a criminal background check. Requires the Department to adopt rules to implement this provision.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB0525 LRB095 08398 DRJ 28571 b

1     AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act
5 is amended by changing Section 3.50 as follows:
 
6     (210 ILCS 50/3.50)
7     Sec. 3.50. Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Licensure.
8     (a) "Emergency Medical Technician-Basic" or "EMT-B" means
9 a person who has successfully completed a course of instruction
10 in basic life support as prescribed by the Department, is
11 currently licensed by the Department in accordance with
12 standards prescribed by this Act and rules adopted by the
13 Department pursuant to this Act, and practices within an EMS
14 System.
15     (b) "Emergency Medical Technician-Intermediate" or "EMT-I"
16 means a person who has successfully completed a course of
17 instruction in intermediate life support as prescribed by the
18 Department, is currently licensed by the Department in
19 accordance with standards prescribed by this Act and rules
20 adopted by the Department pursuant to this Act, and practices
21 within an Intermediate or Advanced Life Support EMS System.
22     (c) "Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic" or "EMT-P"
23 means a person who has successfully completed a course of

 

 

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1 instruction in advanced life support care as prescribed by the
2 Department, is licensed by the Department in accordance with
3 standards prescribed by this Act and rules adopted by the
4 Department pursuant to this Act, and practices within an
5 Advanced Life Support EMS System.
6     (d) The Department shall have the authority and
7 responsibility to:
8         (1) Prescribe education and training requirements,
9     which includes training in the use of epinephrine, for all
10     levels of EMT, based on the respective national curricula
11     of the United States Department of Transportation and any
12     modifications to such curricula specified by the
13     Department through rules adopted pursuant to this Act;
14         (2) Prescribe licensure testing requirements for all
15     levels of EMT, which shall include a requirement that all
16     phases of instruction, training, and field experience be
17     completed before taking the EMT licensure examination.
18     Candidates may elect to take the National Registry of
19     Emergency Medical Technicians examination in lieu of the
20     Department's examination, but are responsible for making
21     their own arrangements for taking the National Registry
22     examination;
23         (3) License individuals as an EMT-B, EMT-I, or EMT-P
24     who have met the Department's education, training and
25     testing requirements;
26         (4) Prescribe annual continuing education and

 

 

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1     relicensure requirements for all levels of EMT;
2         (5) Relicense individuals as an EMT-B, EMT-I, or EMT-P
3     every 4 years, based on their compliance with continuing
4     education and relicensure requirements;
5         (6) Grant inactive status to any EMT who qualifies,
6     based on standards and procedures established by the
7     Department in rules adopted pursuant to this Act;
8         (7) Charge each candidate for EMT a fee to be submitted
9     with an application for a licensure examination;
10         (8) Suspend, revoke, or refuse to renew the license of
11     an EMT, after an opportunity for a hearing, when findings
12     show one or more of the following:
13             (A) The EMT has not met continuing education or
14         relicensure requirements as prescribed by the
15         Department;
16             (B) The EMT has failed to maintain proficiency in
17         the level of skills for which he or she is licensed;
18             (C) The EMT, during the provision of medical
19         services, engaged in dishonorable, unethical or
20         unprofessional conduct of a character likely to
21         deceive, defraud or harm the public;
22             (D) The EMT has failed to maintain or has violated
23         standards of performance and conduct as prescribed by
24         the Department in rules adopted pursuant to this Act or
25         his or her EMS System's Program Plan;
26             (E) The EMT is physically impaired to the extent

 

 

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1         that he or she cannot physically perform the skills and
2         functions for which he or she is licensed, as verified
3         by a physician, unless the person is on inactive status
4         pursuant to Department regulations;
5             (F) The EMT is mentally impaired to the extent that
6         he or she cannot exercise the appropriate judgment,
7         skill and safety for performing the functions for which
8         he or she is licensed, as verified by a physician,
9         unless the person is on inactive status pursuant to
10         Department regulations; or
11             (G) The EMT has violated this Act or any rule
12         adopted by the Department pursuant to this Act.
13     The education requirements prescribed by the Department
14 under this subsection must allow for the suspension of those
15 requirements in the case of a member of the armed services or
16 reserve forces of the United States or a member of the Illinois
17 National Guard who is on active duty pursuant to an executive
18 order of the President of the United States, an act of the
19 Congress of the United States, or an order of the Governor at
20 the time that the member would otherwise be required to fulfill
21 a particular education requirement. Such a person must fulfill
22 the education requirement within 6 months after his or her
23 release from active duty.
24     (e) In the event that any rule of the Department or an EMS
25 Medical Director that requires testing for drug use as a
26 condition for EMT licensure conflicts with or duplicates a

 

 

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1 provision of a collective bargaining agreement that requires
2 testing for drug use, that rule shall not apply to any person
3 covered by the collective bargaining agreement.
4     (f) As a condition of licensure under this Section, the
5 Department shall require an applicant for such a license to
6 undergo a criminal background check. The Department shall adopt
7 rules to implement this subsection.
8 (Source: P.A. 94-504, eff. 8-8-05.)