House Bill 301

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 41-59-35, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO AUTHORIZE AN EMT, EMT-A, EMR OR PARAMEDIC TO DENY TRANSPORT TO SOMEONE WITHOUT A LIFE-THREATENING EMERGENCY IF THERE IS A LIFE-THREATENING EMERGENCY THAT THE EMT, EMT-A, EMR OR PARAMEDIC NEEDS TO ATTEND TO AT THAT TIME; TO DIRECT THE STATE BOARD OF HEALTH TO ADOPT RULES AND REGULATIONS NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THIS PROVISION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 41-59-35, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

41-59-35. (1) An emergency medical technician certificate so issued shall be valid for a period not exceeding two (2) years from the date of issuance and may be renewed upon payment of a renewal fee to be fixed by the board, which shall be paid to the board, provided that the holder meets the qualifications set forth in this Chapter 59 and Chapter 60 and rules and regulations promulgated by the board. Any increase in the fee charged by the board under this subsection shall be in accordance with the provisions of Section 41-3-65.

(2) The board is authorized to suspend or revoke a certificate so issued at any time it is determined that the holder no longer meets the prescribed qualifications.

(3) It shall be unlawful for any person, corporation or association to, in any manner, represent himself, herself or itself as an Emergency Medical Technician-Basic, Emergency Medical Technician-Advanced, Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic, Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic Critical Care, or Emergency Medical Services Driver, or use in connection with his or its name the words or letters of EMT, emt, paramedic, critical care paramedic, or any other letters, words, abbreviations or insignia which would indicate or imply that he, she or it is an Emergency Medical Technician-Basic, Emergency Medical Technician-Advanced, Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic, Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic Critical Care, or Emergency Medical Services Driver, unless certified in accordance with Chapters 59 and 60 of this title and in accordance with the rules and regulations promulgated by the board; or a person who has a privilege to practice under the Emergency Medical Services Personnel Licensure Interstate Compact. It shall be unlawful to employ an uncertified Emergency Medical Technician-Basic, Emergency Medical Technician-Advanced, Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic, or Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic Critical Care to provide basic or advanced life-support services.

(4) An EMT, EMT-A, EMR, or Paramedic may transport a police dog injured in the line of duty to a veterinary clinic, hospital emergency department or similar facility if there are no persons requiring medical attention or transport at that time. For the purposes of this subsection, "police dog" means a dog owned or used by a law enforcement department or agency in the course of the department or agency's work, including a search and rescue dog, service dog, accelerant detection canine, or other dog that is in use by a county, municipal, or state law enforcement agency.

(5) An EMT, EMT-A, EMR or Paramedic may deny transport to someone without a life-threatening emergency if there is a life-threatening emergency that the EMT, EMT-A, EMR or Paramedic needs to attend to at that time. The State Board of Health shall adopt rules and regulations necessary to implement this subsection (5).

( * * *56) Any Emergency Medical Technician-Basic, Emergency Medical Technician-Advanced, Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic, Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic Critical Care, or Emergency Medical Services Driver who violates or fails to comply with these statutes or the rules and regulations promulgated by the board under these statutes shall be subject, after due notice and hearing, to an administrative fine not to exceed One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00).

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2021.