Public Act 102-0450
 
HB2864 EnrolledLRB102 13923 CPF 19274 b


  
    AN ACT concerning regulation.
  
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
represented in the General Assembly:
  



  
 
    Section 5. The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems 
Act is amended by adding Section 3.89 as follows:
 
    (210 ILCS 50/3.89 new)
    Sec. 3.89. Rural populations; credential exception.
    (a) In a rural population of 5,000 or fewer inhabitants, 
each EMS System Medical Director may create an exception to 
the credentialing process to allow registered nurses, 
physician assistants, and advanced practice registered nurses 
to apply to serve as volunteers who perform the same work as 
EMTs. As part of the volunteer recognition process, EMS 
Systems shall ensure that registered nurses, physician 
assistants, and advanced practice registered nurses have an 
active license issued by the Department of Financial and 
Professional Regulation. This system-level recognition shall 
require documentation and proof of the completion of at least 
20 hours of prehospital care-specific coursework approved by 
the Department of Public Health, including, but
not limited 
to, airway management, ambulance operation, ambulance 
equipment,
extrication, telecommunication, prehospital 
cardiac and
trauma care, and 8 hours of observant riding time. 
Each EMS System Medical Director who creates an exception to 
the credentialing process under this Section may require 
additional training or documentation and may reject a 
volunteer applicant under this Section for just cause. Each 
exemption period shall be no longer than one year, after which 
time a volunteer applicant may apply for another exemption 
under this Section. Each EMS System Medical Director is 
responsible
for ensuring that volunteer applicants meet EMS 
System requirements for
credentialing and authorizing the 
practice in accordance with
the EMS System plan for basic life 
support. Exceptions to the credentialing process under this 
Section are only allowable for volunteer EMS agencies in 
Illinois.
    (b) The Department of Public Health may adopt rules to 
implement this Section.