Senate Bill No. 227–Senators Rhoads, McGinness,
Amodei and Jacobsen

February 22, 1999

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Referred to Committee on Human Resources and Facilities

 

SUMMARY—Allows person who is not licensed as attendant to drive ambulance under certain circumstances. (BDR 40-1246)

FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No.

Effect on the State or on Industrial Insurance: No.

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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted. Green numbers along left margin indicate location on the printed bill (e.g., 5-15 indicates page 5, line 15).

 

AN ACT relating to emergency medical services; allowing a person who is not licensed as an attendant to drive an ambulance under certain circumstances; requiring the adoption of administrative regulations establishing the minimum qualifications for a driver of an ambulance; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

1-1 Section 1. NRS 450B.050 is hereby amended to read as follows:

1-2 450B.050 "Attendant" means a person responsible for the care of a

1-3 sick or injured person in an ambulance or air ambulance, and [includes]

1-4 may include the driver of an ambulance but not the pilot of an air

1-5 ambulance.

1-6 Sec. 2. NRS 450B.130 is hereby amended to read as follows:

1-7 450B.130 1. The board shall adopt regulations establishing

1-8 reasonable minimum : [standards for:]

1-9 (a) Qualifications for a driver of an ambulance; and

1-10 (b) Standards for:

1-11 (1) Sanitation in ambulances and air ambulances;

1-12 [(b)] (2) Medical and nonmedical equipment and supplies to be carried

1-13 in ambulances and air ambulances and medical equipment and supplies to

1-14 be carried in vehicles of a fire-fighting agency;

1-15 [(c)] (3) Interior configuration, design and dimensions of ambulances

1-16 placed in service after July 1, 1979;

2-1 [(d)] (4) Permits for operation of ambulances, air ambulances and

2-2 vehicles of a fire-fighting agency;

2-3 [(e)] (5) Records to be maintained by an operator of an ambulance or air

2-4 ambulance or by a fire-fighting agency; and

2-5 [(f)] (6) Treatment of patients who are critically ill or in urgent need of

2-6 treatment.

2-7 2. The health officers of this state shall jointly adopt regulations to

2-8 establish the minimum standards for the certification of emergency medical

2-9 technicians. Upon adoption of the regulations, each health authority shall

2-10 adopt the regulations for its jurisdiction. After each health authority adopts

2-11 the regulations, the standards established constitute the minimum standards

2-12 for certification of emergency medical technicians in this state. Any

2-13 changes to the minimum standards must be adopted jointly by the health

2-14 officers and by each health authority in the manner set forth in this

2-15 subsection. Any changes in the minimum standards which are not adopted

2-16 in the manner set forth in this subsection are void.

2-17 3. A health officer may adopt regulations that impose additional

2-18 requirements for the certification of emergency medical technicians in his

2-19 jurisdiction, but he must accept the certification of an emergency medical

2-20 technician from the jurisdiction of another health officer as proof that the

2-21 emergency medical technician has met the minimum requirements for

2-22 certification.

2-23 Sec. 3. NRS 450B.260 is hereby amended to read as follows:

2-24 450B.260 1. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the public

2-25 or private owner of an ambulance or air ambulance or a fire-fighting agency

2-26 which owns a vehicle used in providing medical care at the scene of an

2-27 emergency shall not permit its operation and use by any person not licensed

2-28 under this chapter.

2-29 2. An ambulance carrying a sick or injured patient must be occupied by

2-30 [a] :

2-31 (a) A driver and an attendant, each of whom is licensed as an attendant

2-32 pursuant to this chapter or exempt from licensing pursuant to subsection 6

2-33 of NRS 450B.160 [,] ; or

2-34 (b) A driver and, if the driver is not licensed as an attendant
2-35 pursuant to this chapter, two attendants who are licensed pursuant
2-36 to this chapter or are exempt from licensing pursuant to subsection 6 of

2-37 NRS 450B.160,

2-38 except in geographic areas which may be designated by the board and for

2-39 which the board may prescribe lesser qualifications.

2-40 3. An air ambulance carrying a sick or injured patient must be occupied

2-41 by a licensed attendant, or a person exempt from licensing pursuant to

2-42 subsection 6 of NRS 450B.160, in addition to the pilot of the aircraft.

3-1 4. The pilot of an air ambulance is not required to have a license under

3-2 this chapter.

3-3 5. A person who operates or uses a vehicle owned by a fire-fighting

3-4 agency is not required to be licensed under this chapter, except that such a

3-5 vehicle may not be used to provide intermediate or advanced medical care

3-6 at the scene of an emergency unless at least one person in the vehicle is

3-7 licensed to provide the care.

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