PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 619 PRINTER'S NO. 3247
No. 569 Session of 1979
INTRODUCED BY MESSRS. LIVENGOOD, ZORD, PETERSON, L. E. SMITH, D. R. WRIGHT, C. GEORGE, LETTERMAN, STEIGHNER, RODGERS AND COCHRAN, MARCH 7, 1979
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON LABOR RELATIONS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, APRIL 29, 1980
AN ACT 1 Amending the act of November 30, 1976 (P.L.1205, No.264), 2 entitled "An act defining emergency medical technician; 3 authorizing such personnel to render emergency care; 4 exempting such personnel and physicians working in 5 conjunction with them from civil liability when rendering 6 such care; and making repeals," further providing for 7 additional job protection for emergency medical technician or 8 emergency medical technician-paramedic and removing 9 additional liabilities for instructions to emergency medical 10 technician-paramedic. 11 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 12 hereby enacts as follows: 13 SECTION 1. SECTION 2, ACT OF NOVEMBER 30, 1976 (P.L.1205, <-- 14 NO.264), REFERRED TO AS THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN LAW, IS 15 AMENDED TO READ: 16 SECTION 2. TREATMENT RENDERED BY EMERGENCY MEDICAL 17 TECHNICIAN.--NOTWITHSTANDING THE PROVISIONS OF THE ACT OF JULY 18 20, 1974 (P.L.551, NO.190), KNOWN AS THE "MEDICAL PRACTICE ACT 19 OF 1974," OR THE PROVISIONS OF ANY OTHER ACT TO THE CONTRARY, 20 ANY EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN MAY, IN THE CASE OF AN 21 EMERGENCY:
1 (1) RENDER EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE, INCLUDING PULMONARY 2 RESUSCITATION; [AND] 3 (2) PERFORM CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION, BUT EXCLUDING 4 THOSE SKILLS ENUMERATED IN SECTION 3; AND 5 (3) PERFORM THE APPLICATION OF PRESSURE DEVICES TO REDUCE 6 PERIPHERAL BLOOD FLOW AND INSERT ESOPHAGEAL OBTURATOR AIRWAY 7 DEVICES (EOA), PROVIDED THAT THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN 8 HAS COMPLETED SPECIAL TRAINING PRESCRIBED BY THE SECRETARY, THAT 9 THE DEVICE IS A TYPE APPROVED BY THE SECRETARY AND THAT THE 10 EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN IS ACTING UNDER DIRECT VERBAL 11 MEDICAL COMMAND. IN THE FAILURE OF COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS 12 PROVIDING SUCH COMMAND, WRITTEN SPECIFIC PROTOCOLS MAY GOVERN 13 THE ACTION. 14 SECTION 2. SECTION 3 OF THE ACT IS AMENDED TO READ: 15 SECTION 3. TREATMENT RENDERED BY EMERGENCY MEDICAL 16 TECHNICIAN-PARAMEDIC.--IN ADDITION TO THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 17 2, ANY EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN-PARAMEDIC, MAY UPON ORDER OF 18 A PHYSICIAN: 19 (1) ADMINISTER PARENTERAL MEDICATIONS AND SOLUTIONS 20 AUTHORIZED BY THE SECRETARY; 21 (2) PERFORM GASTRIC AND PHARYNGEAL SUCTION BY INTUBATION; 22 (3) ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN AN AIRWAY BY ENDOTRACHEAL 23 INTUBATION OR THE ESOPHAGEAL OBTURATOR AIRWAY (EOA); [AND] 24 (4) PERFORM DEFIBRILLATION; AND 25 (5) APPLY THE MAST GARMENT. 26 Section 1 3. Subsection (a) of section 5, act of November <-- 27 30, 1976 (P.L.1205, No.264), referred to as the Emergency 28 Medical Technician Law, OF THE ACT is amended and a subsection <-- 29 is added to read: 30 Section 5. Liabilities.--(a) No physician, who in good 19790H0569B3247 - 2 -
1 faith gives instructions to an emergency medical technician or 2 an emergency medical technician-paramedic, shall be liable for 3 any civil damages as a result of issuing the instructions, 4 unless guilty of gross or willful negligence. 5 * * * 6 (c) No emergency medical technician or emergency medical <-- 7 technician-paramedic, who in good faith attempts to render 8 emergency care authorized by this act while enroute to place of 9 employment, shall receive any form of reprimand or penalty by 10 his or her employer as a result of late arrival at place of 11 employment. 12 Section 2 4. This act shall take effect immediately. <-- A29L32RZ/19790H0569B3247 - 3 -