130th Ohio General Assembly
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(126th General Assembly)
(Amended Substitute House Bill Number 375)



AN ACT
To amend sections 513.10, 749.18, 4765.05, 4765.11, 4765.16, 4766.01, 4766.03, 4766.04, 4766.06, 4766.07, and 4766.17 and to enact sections 4765.101, 4765.102, 4765.111, 4765.112, 4765.113, 4765.114, 4765.115, and 4765.116 of the Revised Code concerning the authority of the State Board of Emergency Medical Services to suspend certificates to practice emergency medical services, revisions to the law governing air medical transportation, and qualifications and residency requirements for members of a municipal hospital board of governors.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio:

SECTION 1. That sections 513.10, 749.18, 4765.05, 4765.11, 4765.16, 4766.01, 4766.03, 4766.04, 4766.06, 4766.07, and 4766.17 be amended and sections 4765.101, 4765.102, 4765.111, 4765.112, 4765.113, 4765.114, 4765.115, and 4765.116 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 513.10.  Where If an agreement under section 513.08 of the Revised Code provides for representation of a joint township hospital district, or of a county, on the board of hospital commissioners or board of governors of a municipal hospital, or both, such the representatives of the district shall be appointed by the joint township district hospital board and shall be electors of the district, and; in the case of a county, such the representatives of the county shall be appointed by the board of county commissioners and shall be electors of the county, or of an adjacent county; and, in the case of membership on the board of governors, at least one such elector, so appointed, shall be a doctor of medicine. In the case of a joint township hospital district, not more than one elector from any township included in the district shall be appointed to either board unless each such township has first had an elector thereof of that township appointed to such that board.

District or county representatives appointed to such a board of hospital commissioners shall serve until the duties of the board, pursuant to sections 749.06 to 749.14, inclusive, of the Revised Code, have terminated.

District or county representatives on the board of governors of such a municipal hospital shall be appointed in the following manner:

(A) When the terms of the members presently holding office expire, of those first appointed thereafter:

(1) One shall be appointed for a term of one year;.

(2) One shall be appointed for a term of two years;.

(3) One shall be appointed for a term of three years;.

(4) If there are more than three are to be appointed, the remaining appointments shall be for a term of four years.

(B) Thereafter, as the respective terms expire, appointments shall be made in each case for a term of four years.

(C) Any vacancy shall be filled by appointment in like manner for the unexpired term of the original appointment.

The joint township district hospital board, or the board of county commissioners, may, by a majority vote of its members, may remove any appointee to either board, for good and sufficient cause, after a hearing upon written charges.

Sec. 749.18.  Where If an agreement under section 749.16 of the Revised Code concerns or includes participation of a joint township hospital district, or of a county, in the maintenance and operation of a municipal hospital, the municipal corporation may establish a board of governors to exercise, subject to such further limitations as are imposed by the agreement, the powers vested in the board of hospital commissioners, provided that any such limitations shall not deny the board of governors the authority to retain counsel, to institute legal action in its own name, or to employ any other lawful means, for the collection of delinquent accounts. The board of governors may include in its membership such representatives of the a participating district who are electors of the district, or of the a participating county who are electors of that county or an adjacent county, as are provided for in such the agreement. The

Except as otherwise provided in this section, the municipal members of the board of governors shall consist of the mayor, who by virtue of that office shall be its president, and four resident freeholders of the municipal corporation, at least one of whom shall be a doctor of medicine, to be appointed by the mayor with the consent of the legislative authority. However, if necessary to secure qualified individuals to serve on the board of governors, the municipal members of the board may be residents of the county in which the municipal corporation is located or of an adjacent county. The term of office of such those municipal members shall be as provided in section 749.05 of the Revised Code. The

The board shall of governors, subject to the terms of the agreement, shall establish such regulations and elect such officers, other than president, as its members determine. The members shall be entitled to such the compensation for their services as is provided by the agreement.

Sec. 4765.05. (A) As used in this section, "prehospital emergency medical services" means an emergency medical services system that provides medical services to patients who require immediate assistance, because of illness or injury, prior to their arrival at an emergency medical facility.

(B) The state board of emergency medical services shall divide the state geographically into prehospital emergency medical services regions for purposes of overseeing the delivery of adult and pediatric prehospital emergency medical services. These regions shall consist of the same geographic regions as the health service areas designated by the director of health under section 3702.58 of the Revised Code. For each prehospital emergency medical services region, the state board of emergency medical services shall appoint either a physician to serve as the regional director or a physician advisory board to serve as the regional advisory board. The state board of emergency medical services shall specify the duties of each regional director and regional advisory board. Regional directors and members of regional advisory boards shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses incurred in carrying out duties as regional directors and members of regional advisory boards.

(C) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit in any way the ability of a hospital to determine the market area of that hospital.

Sec. 4765.101. (A) The state board of emergency medical services shall investigate any allegation that a person has violated this chapter or a rule adopted under it.

Any person may submit to the board a written complaint regarding an alleged violation of this chapter or a rule adopted under it. In the absence of fraud or bad faith, no person submitting a complaint to the board or testifying in an adjudication hearing conducted in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code with regard to such an alleged violation shall be liable to any person in damages in a civil action as a result of submitting the complaint or providing testimony.

(B) In investigating an allegation, the board may do any of the following:

(1) Administer oaths;

(2) Order the taking of depositions;

(3) Issue subpoenas;

(4) Compel the attendance of witnesses and production of books, accounts, papers, records, documents, and testimony.

(C) A subpoena for patient record information shall not be issued without consultation with the attorney general's office and approval of the executive director of the board. Before issuance of a subpoena for patient record information, the executive director shall determine whether there is probable cause to believe that the complaint filed alleges a violation of this chapter or any rule adopted under it and that the records sought are relevant to the alleged violation and material to the investigation. The subpoena may apply only to records that cover a reasonable period of time surrounding the alleged violation.

(D) On failure to comply with any subpoena issued by the board and after reasonable notice to the person being subpoenaed, the board may move, pursuant to the Rules of Civil Procedure, for an order compelling the production of persons or records.

(E) A subpoena issued by the board may be served by a sheriff, the sheriff's deputy, or an investigator for the division of emergency medical services of the department of public safety. Service of a subpoena issued by the board may be made by delivering a copy of the subpoena to the person named in it, reading it to the person, or leaving it at the person's usual place of residence. When the person being served is an individual authorized by this chapter to practice emergency medical services, service of the subpoena may be made by certified mail, restricted delivery, return receipt requested, and the subpoena shall be deemed served on the date delivery is made or on the date that the person refuses to accept delivery.

Sec. 4765.102. (A) As used in this section, "licensing agency" means any entity that has the authority pursuant to Title XLVII of the Revised Code to issue a license, and any other agency of this or another state, other than the Ohio supreme court, that has the authority to issue a license that authorizes an individual to engage in an occupation or profession. "Licensing agency" includes an administrative officer that has authority to issue a license that authorizes an individual to engage in an occupation or profession.

(B) Except as provided in divisions (C) and (D) of this section and section 4765.111 of the Revised Code, all information the state board of emergency medical services receives pursuant to an investigation, including information regarding an alleged violation of this chapter or rules adopted under it or a complaint submitted under division (A) of section 4765.101 of the Revised Code, is confidential, and is not subject to discovery in any civil action, during the course of the investigation and any adjudication proceedings that result from the investigation. Upon completion of the investigation and any resulting adjudication proceedings, the information is a matter of public record for purposes of section 149.43 of the Revised Code.

(C) The board may release information otherwise made confidential by division (B) of this section to law enforcement officers or licensing agencies of this or another state that are prosecuting, adjudicating, or investigating the holder of a certificate issued under this chapter or a person who allegedly engaged in the unauthorized provision of emergency medical services.

A law enforcement officer or licensing agency with information disclosed by the board under this division shall not divulge the information other than for the purpose of an adjudication by a court or licensing agency to which the subject of the adjudication is a party.

(D) If an investigation conducted under section 4765.101 of the Revised Code requires a review of patient records, the investigation and proceedings related to it shall be conducted in such a manner as to protect patient confidentiality. The board shall not make public the name or any other identifying information about a patient unless proper consent is given in accordance with rules adopted by the board. If the patient is less than eighteen years of age, the board shall obtain consent from the patient's parent, guardian, or custodian.

Sec. 4765.11.  (A) The state board of emergency medical services shall adopt, and may amend and rescind, rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code and division (C) of this section that establish all of the following:

(1) Procedures for its governance and the control of its actions and business affairs;

(2) Standards for the performance of emergency medical services by first responders, emergency medical technicians-basic, emergency medical technicians-intermediate, and emergency medical technicians-paramedic;

(3) Application fees for certificates of accreditation, certificates of approval, certificates to teach, and certificates to practice, which shall be deposited into the trauma and emergency medical services fund created in section 4513.263 of the Revised Code;

(4) Criteria for determining when the application or renewal fee for a certificate to practice may be waived because an applicant cannot afford to pay the fee;

(5) Procedures for issuance and renewal of certificates of accreditation, certificates of approval, certificates to teach, and certificates to practice, including any procedures necessary to ensure that adequate notice of renewal is provided in accordance with division (D) of section 4765.30 of the Revised Code;

(6) Procedures for suspending or revoking certificates of accreditation, certificates of approval, certificates to teach, and certificates to practice;

(7) Grounds for suspension or revocation of a certificate to practice issued under section 4765.30 of the Revised Code and for taking any other disciplinary action against a first responder, EMT-basic, EMT-I, or paramedic;

(8) Procedures for taking disciplinary action against a first responder, EMT-basic, EMT-I, or paramedic;

(9) Standards for certificates of accreditation and certificates of approval;

(10) Qualifications for certificates to teach;

(11) Requirements for a certificate to practice;

(12) The curricula, number of hours of instruction and training, and instructional materials to be used in adult and pediatric emergency medical services training programs and adult and pediatric emergency medical services continuing education programs;

(13) Procedures for conducting courses in recognizing symptoms of life-threatening allergic reactions and in calculating proper dosage levels and administering injections of epinephrine to adult and pediatric patients who suffer life-threatening allergic reactions;

(14) Examinations for certificates to practice;

(15) Procedures for administering examinations for certificates to practice;

(16) Procedures for approving examinations that demonstrate competence to have a certificate to practice renewed without completing an emergency medical services continuing education program;

(17) Procedures for granting extensions and exemptions of emergency medical services continuing education requirements;

(18) Procedures for approving the additional emergency medical services first responders are authorized by division (C) of section 4765.35 of the Revised Code to perform, EMTs-basic are authorized by division (C) of section 4765.37 of the Revised Code to perform, EMTs-I are authorized by division (B)(5) of section 4765.38 of the Revised Code to perform, and paramedics are authorized by division (B)(6) of section 4765.39 of the Revised Code to perform;

(19) Standards and procedures for implementing the requirements of section 4765.06 of the Revised Code, including designations of the persons who are required to report information to the board and the types of information to be reported;

(20) Procedures for administering the emergency medical services grant program established under section 4765.07 of the Revised Code;

(21) Procedures consistent with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code for appealing decisions of the board;

(22) Minimum qualifications and peer review and quality improvement requirements for persons who provide medical direction to emergency medical service personnel;

(23) The manner in which a patient, or a patient's parent, guardian, or custodian may consent to the board releasing identifying information about the patient under division (D) of section 4765.102 of the Revised Code;

(24) Circumstances under which a training program or continuing education program, or portion of either type of program, may be taught by a person who does not hold a certificate to teach issued under section 4765.23 of the Revised Code.

(B) The board may adopt, and may amend and rescind, rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code and division (C) of this section that establish the following:

(1) Specifications of information that may be collected under the trauma system registry and incidence reporting system created under section 4765.06 of the Revised Code;

(2) Standards and procedures for implementing any of the recommendations made by any committees of the board or under section 4765.57 of the Revised Code;

(3) Requirements that a person must meet to receive a certificate to practice as a first responder pursuant to division (A)(2) of section 4765.30 of the Revised Code;

(4) Any other rules necessary to implement this chapter.

(C) In developing and administering rules adopted under this chapter, the state board of emergency medical services shall consult with regional directors and regional physician advisory boards created by section 4765.05 of the Revised Code and emphasize the special needs of pediatric and geriatric patients.

(D) Except as otherwise provided in this division, before adopting, amending, or rescinding any rule under this chapter, the board shall submit the proposed rule to the director of public safety for review. The director may review the proposed rule for not more than sixty days after the date it is submitted. If, within this sixty-day period, the director approves the proposed rule or does not notify the board that the rule is disapproved, the board may adopt, amend, or rescind the rule as proposed. If, within this sixty-day period, the director notifies the board that the proposed rule is disapproved, the board shall not adopt, amend, or rescind the rule as proposed unless at least twelve members of the board vote to adopt, amend, or rescind it.

This division does not apply to an emergency rule adopted in accordance with section 119.03 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 4765.111. Except as provided in this section or sections 4765.112 to 4765.116 of the Revised Code, the state board of emergency medical services shall conduct disciplinary proceedings regarding the holder of a certificate issued under this chapter in accordance with rules adopted by the board under section 4765.11 of the Revised Code.

The board and a holder of a certificate are the parties to a hearing conducted under this chapter. Either party may submit a written request to the other party for a list of witnesses and copies of documents intended to be introduced at the hearing. The request shall be in writing and shall be served not less than thirty-seven days prior to the commencement of the hearing, unless the hearing officer or presiding board member grants an extension of time to make the request. Not later than thirty days before the hearing, the responding party shall provide the requested list of witnesses and copies of documents to the requesting party, unless the hearing officer or presiding board member grants an extension of time to provide the list and copies.

Failure to timely provide a list or copies requested in accordance with this section shall result in exclusion from the hearing of the witnesses, testimony, or documents.

Sec.  4765.112.  (A) The state board of emergency medical services, by an affirmative vote of the majority of its members, may suspend without a prior hearing a certificate to practice issued under this chapter if the board determines that there is clear and convincing evidence that continued practice by the certificate holder presents a danger of immediate and serious harm to the public and that the certificate holder has done any of the following:

(1) Furnished false, fraudulent, or misleading information to the board;

(2) Engaged in activities that exceed those permitted by the individual's certificate;

(3) In a court of this or any other state or federal court been convicted of, pleaded guilty to, or been the subject of a judicial finding of guilt of, a judicial finding of guilt resulting from a plea of no contest to, or a judicial finding of eligibility for intervention in lieu of conviction for, a felony or for a misdemeanor committed in the course of practice or involving gross immorality or moral turpitude.

(B) Immediately following the decision to impose a summary suspension, the board, in accordance with section 119.07 of the Revised Code, shall issue a written order of suspension, cause it to be delivered to the certificate holder, and notify the certificate holder of the opportunity for a hearing. If timely requested by the certificate holder, a hearing shall be conducted in accordance with section 4765.115 of the Revised Code.

Sec.  4765.113.  If the state board of emergency medical services imposes a suspension on the basis of a conviction, judicial finding, or plea as described in division (A)(3) of section 4765.112 of the Revised Code that is overturned on appeal, the certificate holder, on exhaustion of the criminal appeal process, may file with the board a petition for reconsideration of the suspension along with appropriate court documents. On receipt of the petition and documents, the board shall reinstate the certificate holder's certificate to practice.

Sec. 4765.114.  (A) A certificate to practice emergency medical services issued under this chapter is automatically suspended on the certificate holder's conviction of, plea of guilty to, or judicial finding of guilt of any of the following: aggravated murder, murder, voluntary manslaughter, felonious assault, kidnapping, rape, sexual battery, gross sexual imposition, aggravated arson, aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery, or a substantially equivalent offense committed in this or another jurisdiction. Continued practice after the suspension is practicing without a certificate.

(B) If the state board of emergency medical services has knowledge that an automatic suspension has occurred, it shall notify, in accordance with section 119.07 of the Revised Code, the certificate holder of the suspension and of the opportunity for a hearing. If timely requested by the certificate holder, a hearing shall be conducted in accordance with section 4765.115 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 4765.115.  (A) A suspension order issued under section 4765.112 or automatic suspension under section 4765.114 of the Revised Code is not subject to suspension by a court prior to a hearing under this section or during the pendency of any appeal filed under section 119.12 of the Revised Code.

(B) A suspension order issued under section 4765.112 or automatic suspension under section 4765.114 of the Revised Code remains in effect, unless reversed by the state board of emergency medical services, until a final adjudication order issued by the board pursuant to this section becomes effective.

(C) Hearings requested pursuant to section 4765.112 or 4765.114 of the Revised Code shall be conducted under this section in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.

(D) A hearing under this section shall be held not later than forty-five days but not earlier than forty days after the certificate holder requests it, unless another date is agreed to by the certificate holder and the board.

(E) After completion of an adjudication hearing, the board may adopt, by an affirmative vote of the majority of its members, a final adjudication order that imposes any of the following sanctions:

(1) Suspension of the holder's certificate to practice;

(2) Revocation of the holder's certificate to practice;

(3) Issuance of a written reprimand;

(4) A refusal to renew or a limitation on the holder's certificate to practice.

The board shall issue its final adjudication order not later than forty-five days after completion of an adjudication hearing. If the board does not issue a final order within that time period, the suspension order is void, but any final adjudication order subsequently issued is not affected.

(F) Any action taken by the board under this section resulting in a suspension from practice shall be accompanied by a written statement of the conditions under which the certificate to practice may be reinstated. Reinstatement of a certificate suspended under this section requires an affirmative vote by the majority of the members of the board.

(G) When the board revokes or refuses to reinstate a certificate to practice, the board may specify that its action is permanent. An individual subject to permanent action taken by the board is forever ineligible to hold a certificate of the type revoked or refused, and the board shall not accept from the individual an application for reinstatement of the certificate or for a new certificate.

Sec. 4765.116.  If a certificate holder subject to a suspension order issued by the state board of emergency medical services under section 4765.112 or an automatic suspension order under section 4765.114 of the Revised Code fails to make a timely request for a hearing, the following apply:

(A) In the case of a certificate holder subject to a summary suspension order, the board is not required to hold a hearing, but may adopt, by an affirmative vote of a majority of its members, a final order that contains the board's findings. In the final order, the board may order any of the sanctions listed in division (E) of section 4765.115 of the Revised Code.

(B) In the case of a certificate holder subject to an automatic suspension order, the board may adopt, by an affirmative vote of a majority of its members, a final order that permanently revokes the holder's certificate to practice.

Sec. 4765.16.  (A) All courses offered through an emergency medical services training program or an emergency medical services continuing education program, other than ambulance driving, shall be developed under the direction of a physician who specializes in emergency medicine. Each course that deals with trauma care shall be developed in consultation with a physician who specializes in trauma surgery. Each Except as specified by the state board of emergency medical services pursuant to rules adopted under section 4765.11 of the Revised Code, each course offered through a training program or continuing education program shall be taught by a person who holds the appropriate certificate to teach issued under section 4765.23 of the Revised Code.

(B) A training program for first responders shall meet the standards established in rules adopted by the state board of emergency medical services under section 4765.11 of the Revised Code. The program shall include courses in both of the following areas for at least the number of hours established by the board's rules:

(1) Emergency victim care;

(2) Reading and interpreting a trauma victim's vital signs.

(C) A training program for emergency medical technicians-basic shall meet the standards established in rules adopted by the board under section 4765.11 of the Revised Code. The program shall include courses in each of the following areas for at least the number of hours established by the board's rules:

(1) Emergency victim care;

(2) Reading and interpreting a trauma victim's vital signs;

(3) Triage protocols for adult and pediatric trauma victims;

(4) In-hospital training;

(5) Clinical training;

(6) Training as an ambulance driver.

Each operator of a training program for emergency medical technicians-basic shall allow any pupil in the twelfth grade in a secondary school who is at least seventeen years old and who otherwise meets the requirements for admission into such a training program to be admitted to and complete the program and, as part of the training, to ride in an ambulance with emergency medical technicians-basic, emergency medical technicians-intermediate, and emergency medical technicians-paramedic. Each emergency medical service organization shall allow pupils participating in training programs to ride in an ambulance with emergency medical technicians-basic, advanced emergency medical technicians-intermediate, and emergency medical technicians-paramedic.

(D) A training program for emergency medical technicians-intermediate shall meet the standards established in rules adopted by the board under section 4765.11 of the Revised Code. The program shall include, or require as a prerequisite, the training specified in division (C) of this section and courses in each of the following areas for at least the number of hours established by the board's rules:

(1) Recognizing symptoms of life-threatening allergic reactions and in calculating proper dosage levels and administering injections of epinephrine to persons who suffer life-threatening allergic reactions, conducted in accordance with rules adopted by the board under section 4765.11 of the Revised Code;

(2) Venous access procedures;

(3) Cardiac monitoring and electrical interventions to support or correct the cardiac function.

(E) A training program for emergency medical technicians-paramedic shall meet the standards established in rules adopted by the board under section 4765.11 of the Revised Code. The program shall include, or require as a prerequisite, the training specified in divisions (C) and (D) of this section and courses in each of the following areas for at least the number of hours established by the board's rules:

(1) Medical terminology;

(2) Venous access procedures;

(3) Airway procedures;

(4) Patient assessment and triage;

(5) Acute cardiac care, including administration of parenteral injections, electrical interventions, and other emergency medical services;

(6) Emergency and trauma victim care beyond that required under division (C) of this section;

(7) Clinical training beyond that required under division (C) of this section.

(F) A continuing education program for first responders, EMTs-basic, EMTs-I, or paramedics shall meet the standards established in rules adopted by the board under section 4765.11 of the Revised Code. A continuing education program shall include instruction and training in subjects established by the board's rules for at least the number of hours established by the board's rules.

Sec. 4766.01.  As used in this chapter:

(A) "Advanced life support" means treatment described in section 4765.39 of the Revised Code that a paramedic is certified to perform.

(B) "Air medical service organization" means a person that provides air medical transportation to the public an organization that furnishes, conducts, maintains, advertises, promotes, or otherwise engages in providing medical services with a rotorcraft air ambulance or fixed wing air ambulance.

(C) "Air medical transportation" is the use of a rotorcraft air ambulance or fixed wing air ambulance to provide transportation and advanced life support to seriously ill, injured, wounded, or otherwise incapacitated or helpless individuals who require use of a stretcher from airport to airport or from an emergency scene to a hospital or other medical care setting means the transporting of a patient by rotorcraft air ambulance or fixed wing air ambulance with appropriately licensed and certified medical personnel.

(D) "Ambulance" means any motor vehicle that is specifically designed, constructed, or modified and equipped and is intended to be used to provide basic life support, intermediate life support, advanced life support, or mobile intensive care unit services and transportation upon the streets or highways of this state of persons who are seriously ill, injured, wounded, or otherwise incapacitated or helpless. "Ambulance" does not include air medical transportation or a vehicle designed and used solely for the transportation of nonstretcher-bound persons, whether hospitalized or handicapped or whether ambulatory or confined to a wheelchair.

(E) "Ambulette" means a motor vehicle that is specifically designed, constructed, or modified and equipped and is intended to be used for transportation upon the streets or highways of this state of persons who require use of a wheelchair.

(F) "Basic life support" means treatment described in section 4765.37 of the Revised Code that an EMT-basic is certified to perform.

(G) "Disaster situation" means any condition or situation described by rule of the Ohio medical transportation board as a mass casualty, major emergency, natural disaster, or national emergency.

(H) "Emergency medical service organization" means an organization that uses EMTs-basic, EMTs-I, or paramedics, or a combination thereof of EMTs-basic, EMTs-I, and paramedics, to provide medical care to victims of illness or injury. An emergency medical service organization includes, but is not limited to, a commercial ambulance service organization, a hospital, and a funeral home.

(I) "EMT-basic," "EMT-I," and "paramedic" have the same meanings as in section 4765.01 of the Revised Code.

(J) "Fixed wing air ambulance" means a fixed wing aircraft operated that is specifically designed, constructed, or modified and equipped and is intended to be used as a means of air medical transportation.

(K) "Intermediate life support" means treatment described in section 4765.38 of the Revised Code that an EMT-I is certified to perform.

(L) "Major emergency" means any emergency event that cannot be resolved through the use of locally available emergency resources.

(M) "Mass casualty" means an emergency event that results in ten or more persons being injured, incapacitated, made ill, or killed.

(N) "Medical emergency" means an unforeseen event affecting an individual in such a manner that a need for immediate care is created.

(O) "Mobile intensive care unit" means an ambulance used only for maintaining specialized or intensive care treatment and used primarily for interhospital transports of patients whose conditions require care beyond the scope of a paramedic as provided in section 4765.39 of the Revised Code.

(P)(1) "Nonemergency medical service organization" means a person that does both of the following:

(a) Provides services to the public on a regular basis for the purpose of transporting individuals who require the use of a wheelchair or are confined to a wheelchair to receive health care services at health care facilities or health care practitioners' offices in nonemergency circumstances;

(b) Provides the services for a fee, regardless of whether the fee is paid by the person being transported, a third party payer, as defined in section 3702.51 of the Revised Code, or any other person or government entity.

(2) "Nonemergency medical service organization" does not include a health care facility, as defined in section 1751.01 of the Revised Code, that provides ambulette services only to patients of that facility.

(P) "Mobile intensive care unit" means an ambulance used only for maintaining specialized or intensive care treatment and used primarily for interhospital transports of patients whose conditions require care beyond the scope of a paramedic as provided in section 4765.39 of the Revised Code.

(Q) "Nontransport vehicle" means a motor vehicle operated by a licensed emergency medical service organization not as an ambulance, but as a vehicle for providing services in conjunction with the ambulances operated by the organization or other emergency medical service organizations.

(R) "Patient" means any individual who as a result of illness or injury needs medical attention, whose physical or mental condition is such that there is imminent danger of loss of life or significant health impairment, who may be otherwise incapacitated or helpless as a result of a physical or mental condition, or whose physical condition requires the use of a wheelchair.

(S) "Rotorcraft air ambulance" means a helicopter or other aircraft capable of vertical takeoffs, vertical landings, and hovering that is specifically designed, constructed, or modified and equipped and is intended to be used as a means of air medical transportation.

Sec. 4766.03.  (A) The Ohio medical transportation board shall adopt rules, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, implementing the requirements of this chapter. The rules shall include provisions relating to the following:

(1) Requirements for an emergency medical service organization to receive a permit for an ambulance or nontransport vehicle;

(2) Requirements for an emergency medical service organization to receive a license as a basic life-support, intermediate life-support, advanced life-support, or mobile intensive care unit organization;

(3) Requirements for a nonemergency medical service organization to receive a permit for an ambulette vehicle;

(4) Requirements for a nonemergency medical service organization to receive a license for an ambulette service;

(5) Requirements for an air medical service organization to receive a permit for a rotorcraft air ambulance or fixed wing air ambulance;

(6) Requirements for licensure of air medical service organizations;

(7) Forms for applications and renewals of licenses and permits;

(8) Requirements for record keeping of service responses made by licensed emergency medical service organizations;

(9) Fee amounts for licenses and permits, and their renewals thereof;

(10) Inspection requirements for licensees' vehicles or aircraft, records, and physical facilities;

(11) Fee amounts for inspections of ambulances, ambulettes, rotorcraft air ambulances, fixed wing air ambulances, and nontransport vehicles;

(12) Requirements for ambulances and nontransport vehicles used by licensed emergency medical service organizations, for ambulette vehicles used by licensed nonemergency medical service organizations, and for rotorcraft air ambulances or fixed wing air ambulances used by licensed air medical service organizations that specify for each type of vehicle or aircraft the types of equipment that must be carried, the communication systems that must be maintained, and the personnel who must staff the vehicle or aircraft;

(13) The level of care each type of emergency medical service organization, nonemergency medical service organization, and air medical service organization is authorized to provide;

(14) Eligibility requirements for employment as an ambulette driver, including grounds for disqualification due to the results of a motor vehicle law violation check, chemical test, or criminal records check. The rule may require that an applicant for employment as an ambulette driver provide a set of fingerprints to law enforcement authorities if the applicant comes under final consideration for employment.

(15) Any other rules that the board determines necessary for the implementation and enforcement of this chapter.

(B) In the rules for ambulances and nontransport vehicles adopted under division (A)(12) of this section, the board may establish requirements that vary according to whether the emergency medical service organization using the vehicles is licensed as a basic life-support, intermediate life-support, advanced life-support, or mobile intensive care unit organization.

(C) A mobile intensive care unit that is not dually certified to provide advanced life-support and meets the requirements of the rules adopted under this section is not required to carry immobilization equipment, including board splint kits, traction splints, backboards, backboard straps, cervical immobilization devices, cervical collars, stairchairs stair chairs, folding cots, or other types of immobilization equipment determined by the board to be unnecessary for mobile intensive care units.

A mobile intensive care unit is exempt from the emergency medical technician staffing requirements of division (B) of section 4765.43 of the Revised Code when it is staffed by at least one physician or registered nurse and another person, designated by a physician, who holds a valid license or certificate to practice in a health care profession, and when at least one of the persons staffing the mobile intensive care unit is a registered nurse whose training meets or exceeds the training required for a paramedic.

Sec. 4766.04.  (A) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, no person shall furnish, operate, conduct, maintain, advertise, engage in, or propose or profess to engage in the business or service in this state of transporting persons who are seriously ill, injured, or otherwise incapacitated or who require the use of a wheelchair or are confined to a wheelchair unless the person is licensed pursuant to this section.

(B) To qualify for a license as a basic life-support, intermediate life-support, advanced life-support, or mobile intensive care unit organization, an emergency medical service organization shall do all of the following:

(1) Apply for a permit for each ambulance and nontransport vehicle owned or leased as provided in section 4766.07 of the Revised Code;

(2) Meet all requirements established in rules adopted by the Ohio medical transportation board regarding ambulances and nontransport vehicles, including requirements pertaining to equipment, communications systems, staffing, and level of care the particular organization is permitted to render;

(3) Maintain the appropriate type and amount of insurance as specified in section 4766.06 of the Revised Code;

(4) Meet all other requirements established under rules adopted by the board for the particular license.

(C) To qualify for a license to provide ambulette service, a nonemergency medical service organization shall do all of the following:

(1) Apply for a permit for each ambulette owned or leased as provided in section 4766.07 of the Revised Code;

(2) Meet all requirements established in rules adopted by the Ohio medical transportation board regarding ambulettes, including requirements pertaining to equipment, communication systems, staffing, and level of care the organization is permitted to render;

(3) Maintain the appropriate type and amount of insurance as specified in section 4766.06 of the Revised Code;

(4) Meet all other requirements established under rules adopted by the board for the license.

(D) To qualify for a license to provide air medical transportation, an air medical service organization shall do all of the following:

(1) Apply for a permit for each rotorcraft air ambulance and fixed wing air ambulance owned or leased as provided in section 4766.07 of the Revised Code;

(2) Meet all requirements established in rules adopted by the Ohio medical transportation board regarding rotorcraft air ambulances and fixed wing air ambulances, including requirements pertaining to equipment, communication systems, staffing, and level of care the organization is permitted to render;

(3) Maintain the appropriate type and amount of insurance as specified in section 4766.06 of the Revised Code;

(4) Meet all other requirements established under rules adopted by the board for the license.

(E) An emergency medical service organization that applies for a license as a basic life-support, intermediate life-support, advanced life-support, or mobile intensive care unit organization; a nonemergency medical service organization that applies for a license to provide ambulette service; or an air medical service organization that applies for a license to provide air medical transportation shall submit a completed application to the board, on a form provided by the board for each particular license, together with the appropriate fees established under section 4766.05 of the Revised Code. The application form shall include all of the following:

(1) The name and business address of the operator of the organization for which licensure is sought;

(2) The name under which the applicant will operate the organization;

(3) A list of the names and addresses of all officers and directors of the organization;

(4) For emergency medical service organizations and nonemergency medical service organizations, a description of each vehicle to be used, including the make, model, year of manufacture, mileage, vehicle identification number, and the color scheme, insignia, name, monogram, or other distinguishing characteristics to be used to designate the applicant's vehicle;

(5) For air medical service organizations using fixed wing air ambulances, a description of each aircraft to be used, including the make, model, year of manufacture, and aircraft Hobbs meter hour reading hours on airframe;

(6) For air medical service organizations using rotorcraft air ambulances, a description of each aircraft to be used, including the make, model, year of manufacture, aircraft Hobbs meter hour reading hours on airframe, aircraft identification number, and the color scheme, insignia, name, monogram, or other distinguishing characteristics to be used to designate the applicant's rotorcraft air ambulance;

(7) The location and description of each place from which the organization will operate;

(8) A description of the geographic area to be served by the applicant;

(9) Any other information the board, by rule, determines necessary.

(F) Within sixty days after receiving a completed application for licensure as a basic life-support, intermediate life-support, advanced life-support, or mobile intensive care unit organization; an ambulette service; or an air medical service organization, the board shall approve or deny the application. The board shall deny an application if it determines that the applicant does not meet the requirements of this chapter or any rules adopted under it. The board shall send notice of the denial of an application by certified mail to the applicant. The applicant may request a hearing within ten days after receipt of the notice. If the board receives a timely request, it shall hold a hearing in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.

(G) If an applicant or licensee operates or plans to operate an organization in more than one location under the same or different identities, the applicant or licensee shall apply for and meet all requirements for licensure or renewal of a license, other than payment of a license fee or renewal fee, for operating the organization at each separate location. An applicant or licensee that operates or plans to operate under the same organization identity in separate locations shall pay only a single license fee.

(H) An emergency medical service organization that wishes to provide ambulette services to the public must apply for a separate license under division (C) of this section.

(I) Each license issued under this section and each permit issued under section 4766.07 of the Revised Code expires one year after the date of issuance and may be renewed in accordance with the standard renewal procedures of Chapter 4745. of the Revised Code, except that a license or permit issued in 1998 or in 1999 prior to June 30, 1999, shall expire two years after the date of issuance. An application for renewal shall include the license or permit renewal fee established under section 4766.05 of the Revised Code. An applicant for renewal of a permit also shall submit to the board proof of an annual inspection of the vehicle or aircraft for which permit renewal is sought. The board shall renew a license if the applicant meets the requirements for licensure and shall renew a permit if the applicant and vehicle or aircraft meet the requirements to maintain a permit for that vehicle or aircraft.

(J) Each licensee shall maintain accurate records of all service responses conducted. The records shall be maintained on forms prescribed by the board and shall contain information as specified by rule by the board.

Sec. 4766.06.  (A)(1) Every emergency medical service organization and nonemergency medical service organization licensee under this chapter shall furnish adequate evidence of liability insurance coverage, in an amount of not less than five hundred thousand dollars per occurrence and not less than five hundred thousand dollars in the aggregate, for any cause for which the licensee would be liable.

(2) Every air medical service organization licensee licensed under this chapter shall furnish adequate evidence of liability insurance coverage, in an amount not less than twenty million dollars per occurrence and not less than twenty million dollars in the aggregate, for any cause for which the licensee would be liable.

(B) In addition to the insurance requirements of division (A) of this section, every licensee shall carry bodily injury and property damage insurance with solvent and responsible insurers licensed to do business in this state for any loss or damage resulting from any occurrence arising out of or caused by the operation or use of any ambulance, ambulette, rotorcraft air ambulance, fixed wing air ambulance, or nontransport vehicle. The insurance shall insure each vehicle or aircraft for the sum of not less than one hundred thousand dollars for bodily injury to or death of any one person arising out of any one accident and the sum of not less than three hundred thousand dollars for bodily injury to or death of more than one person in any one accident and for the sum of fifty thousand dollars for damage to property arising from any one accident.

(C) Each policy or contract of insurance issued shall provide for the payment and satisfaction of any financial judgment entered against the licensee and any person operating the vehicle or aircraft and for a thirty-day cancellation notice to the board.

Sec. 4766.07.  (A) Each Except as otherwise provided by rule of the Ohio medical transportation board, each emergency medical service organization, nonemergency medical service organization, and air medical service organization subject to licensure under this chapter shall possess a valid permit for each ambulance, ambulette, rotorcraft air ambulance, fixed wing air ambulance, and nontransport vehicle it owns or leases that is or will be used by the licensee to perform the services permitted by the license. Each licensee and license applicant shall submit the appropriate fee and an application for a permit for each ambulance, ambulette, rotorcraft air ambulance, fixed wing air ambulance, and nontransport vehicle to the Ohio medical transportation board on forms provided by the board. The application shall include documentation that the vehicle or aircraft meets the appropriate standards set by the board, that the vehicle or aircraft has been inspected pursuant to division (C) of this section, that the permit applicant maintains insurance as provided in section 4766.06 of the Revised Code, and that the vehicle or aircraft and permit applicant meet any other requirements established under rules adopted by the board.

The Ohio medical transportation board may adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code to authorize the temporary use of a vehicle or aircraft for which a permit is not possessed under this section in back-up or disaster situations.

(B)(1) Within sixty days after receiving a completed application for a permit, the board shall issue or deny the permit. The board shall deny an application if it determines that the permit applicant, vehicle, or aircraft does not meet the requirements of this chapter and the rules adopted under it that apply to permits for ambulances, ambulettes, rotorcraft air ambulances, fixed wing air ambulances, and nontransport vehicles. The board shall send notice of the denial of an application by certified mail to the permit applicant. The permit applicant may request a hearing within ten days after receipt of the notice. If the board receives a timely request, it shall hold a hearing in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.

(2) If the board issues the vehicle permit for an ambulance, ambulette, or nontransport vehicle, it also shall issue a decal, in a form prescribed by rule, to be displayed on the rear window of the vehicle. The board shall not issue a decal until all of the requirements for licensure and permit issuance have been met.

(3) If the board issues the aircraft permit for a rotorcraft air ambulance or fixed wing air ambulance, it also shall issue a decal, in a form prescribed by rule, to be displayed on the left fuselage aircraft window in a manner that complies with all applicable federal aviation regulations. The board shall not issue a decal until all of the requirements for licensure and permit issuance have been met.

(C) In addition to any other requirements that the board establishes by rule, a licensee or license applicant applying for an initial vehicle or aircraft permit under division (A) of this section shall submit to the board the vehicle or aircraft for which the permit is sought. Thereafter, a licensee shall annually submit to the board each vehicle or aircraft for which a permit has been issued.

(1) The board shall conduct a physical inspection of an ambulance, ambulette, or nontransport vehicle to determine its roadworthiness and compliance with standard motor vehicle requirements.

(2) The board shall conduct a physical inspection of the medical equipment, communication system, and interior of an ambulance to determine the operational condition and safety of the equipment and the ambulance's interior and to determine whether the ambulance is in compliance with the federal requirements for ambulance construction that were in effect at the time the ambulance was manufactured, as specified by the general services administration in the various versions of its publication titled "federal specification for the star-of-life ambulance, KKK-A-1822."

(3) The board shall conduct a physical inspection of the equipment, communication system, and interior of an ambulette to determine the operational condition and safety of the equipment and the ambulette's interior and to determine whether the ambulette is in compliance with state requirements for ambulette construction. The board shall determine by rule requirements for the equipment, communication system, interior, and construction of an ambulette.

(4) The board shall conduct a physical inspection of the medical equipment, communication system, and interior of a rotorcraft air ambulance or fixed wing air ambulance to determine the operational condition and safety of the equipment and the aircraft's interior.

(5) The board shall issue a certificate to the applicant for each vehicle or aircraft that passes the inspection and may assess a fee for each inspection, as established by the board.

(6) The board shall adopt rules regarding the implementation and coordination of inspections. The rules may permit the board to contract with a third party to conduct the inspections required of the board under this section.

Sec. 4766.17. (A) An air medical service organization licensed under this chapter that uses a rotorcraft or fixed wing air ambulance shall do both of the following:

(1)(A) Use at a minimum both of the following to provide advanced life support to seriously ill, injured, wounded, or otherwise incapacitated or helpless individuals who require use of a stretcher:

(a) A paramedic a physician who holds a current valid license issued under Chapter 4731. of the Revised Code or registered nurse who holds a current valid license issued under Chapter 4723. of the Revised Code, both as defined in section 4765.01 of the Revised Code;

(b) One and a paramedic or one other person, designated by the medical director of the air medical service organization, who holds a current, valid certificate or license to practice a health care profession in this state.;

(2)(B) Employ as a medical director an individual who holds a current, valid certificate issued under Chapter 4731. of the Revised Code authorizing the practice of medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery.

(B) The medical director employed by a licensed air medical service organization pursuant to division (A)(2) of this section is ultimately responsible for the medical care provided to each patient by the organization.

SECTION 2. That existing sections 513.10, 749.18, 4765.05, 4765.11, 4765.16, 4766.01, 4766.03, 4766.04, 4766.06, 4766.07, and 4766.17 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.

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