Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

H.B. 261 First Substitute (2017GS)

Sponsor

Rep. Sagers, D.

Final action

Governor Signed 3/24/2017

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Gary R. Herbert

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• amends the membership of the Emergency Medical Services Committee; and
• amends the emergency medical services grant program.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

LOCAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE AMENDMENTS
GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Douglas V. Sagers
Senate Sponsor: 
____________
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill amends the Emergency Medical Services Assistance Act.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
▸ amends the membership of the Emergency Medical Services Committee; and
▸ amends the emergency medical services grant program.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
26-8a-103
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapters 51 and 297
26-8a-207
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapters 297 and 303
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 
26-8a-103
 is amended to read:
26-8a-103.
State Emergency Medical Services Committee -- Membership --
Expenses.
(1) The State Emergency Medical Services Committee created by Section 
26-1-7
 shall
be composed of the following 16 members appointed by the governor, at least [
five
] 
six
 of
whom shall reside in a county of the third, fourth, fifth, or sixth class:
(a) five physicians licensed under Title 58, Chapter 67, Utah Medical Practice Act, or
Title 58, Chapter 68, Utah Osteopathic Medical Practice Act, as follows:
(i) one surgeon who actively provides trauma care at a hospital;
(ii) one rural physician involved in emergency medical care;
(iii) two physicians who practice in the emergency department of a general acute
hospital; and
(iv) one pediatrician who practices in the emergency department or critical care unit of
a general acute hospital or a children's specialty hospital;
(b) one representative from a private ambulance provider[
;
] 
who:
(i) may not serve more than two consecutive terms; and
(ii) after the term under Subsection (1)(b)(i), shall be replaced by a member from a
different private ambulance provider;
(c) one representative from an ambulance provider that is neither privately owned nor
operated by a fire department;
(d) two chief officers from fire agencies operated by the following classes of licensed
or designated emergency medical services providers: municipality, county, and fire district,
provided that no class of medical services providers may have more than one representative
under this Subsection (1)(d);
(e) one director of a law enforcement agency that provides emergency medical
services;
(f) one hospital administrator;
(g) one emergency care nurse;
(h) one paramedic in active field practice;
(i) one emergency medical technician in active field practice;
(j) one certified emergency medical dispatcher affiliated with an emergency medical
dispatch center; and
(k) one consumer.
(2) (a) Except as provided in Subsection (2)(b), members shall be appointed to a
four-year term beginning July 1.
(b) Notwithstanding Subsection (2)(a), the governor shall, at the time of appointment
or reappointment, adjust the length of terms to ensure that the terms of committee members are
staggered so that approximately half of the committee is appointed every two years.
(c) When a vacancy occurs in the membership for any reason, the replacement shall be
appointed by the governor for the unexpired term.
(3) (a) Each January, the committee shall organize and select one of its members as
chair and one member as vice chair. The committee may organize standing or ad hoc
subcommittees, which shall operate in accordance with guidelines established by the
committee.
(b) The chair shall convene a minimum of four meetings per year. The chair may call
special meetings. The chair shall call a meeting upon request of five or more members of the
committee.
(c) Nine members of the committee constitute a quorum for the transaction of business
and the action of a majority of the members present is the action of the committee.
(4) A member may not receive compensation or benefits for the member's service, but
may receive per diem and travel expenses in accordance with:
(a) Section 
63A-3-106
;
(b) Section 
63A-3-107
; and
(c) rules made by the Division of Finance pursuant to Sections 
63A-3-106
 and
63A-3-107
.
(5) Administrative services for the committee shall be provided by the department.
Section 2. Section 
26-8a-207
 is amended to read:
26-8a-207.
Emergency medical services grant program.
(1) (a) The department shall receive as dedicated credits the amount established in
Section 
51-9-403
. [
That amount shall be transferred to the department by the Division of
Finance from funds generated by the surcharge imposed under Title 51, Chapter 9, Part 4,
Criminal Conviction Surcharge Allocation.
]
[
(b) Funds transferred to the department under this section shall be used for
improvement of delivery of emergency medical services and administrative costs as described
in Subsection (2)(a). Appropriations to the department for the purposes enumerated in this
section shall be made from those dedicated credits.
]
(b) The dedicated credits received by the department under Subsection (1)(a) shall be
used for the purposes described in Subsection (2).
(2) (a) The department may use 
up to 20% of
 the funds transferred to it under
Subsection (1):
[
(i) to provide staff support; and
]
[
(ii) for other expenses incurred in:
]
(i) for the following administrative expenses:
(A) staff support for the department to administer this chapter;
[
(A)
] 
(B)
 administration of grant funds; and
[
(B)
] 
(C)
 other department administrative costs under this chapter[
.
]
; and
(ii) for the development of the trauma system under Part 2a, Statewide Trauma System.
[
(b) After funding staff support, administrative expenses, and trauma system
development, the department and the committee shall make emergency medical services grants
from the remaining funds received as dedicated credits under Subsection (1). A recipient of a
grant under this Subsection (2)(b) shall actively provide emergency medical services within the
state.
]
(b) After paying the expenses under Subsection (2)(a), the department shall use the
funds received under Subsection (1) for emergency medical services grants in accordance with
Subsection (3).
[
(c)
] 
(3) (a)
 The department shall distribute not less than 25% of the funds 
under
Subsection (2)(b)
, with the percentage being authorized by a majority vote of the committee, as
per capita block grants for use specifically related to the provision of emergency medical
services to
:
(i)
 nonprofit prehospital emergency medical services providers that are either licensed
or designated
;
 and [
to
]
(ii)
 emergency medical services that are the primary emergency medical services for a
service area.
(b)
 The department shall determine the grant amounts 
under Subsection (3)(a)
 by
prorating available funds on a per capita basis by county as described in department rule.
[
(d)
] 
(c)
 The committee shall award the remaining funds as competitive grants for use
specifically related to the provision of emergency medical services based upon rules
established by the [
committee
] 
department
.
Legislative Review Note
Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel