SB 19-065 Summary

• Requires emergency medical service (EMS) providers to pay $2.55 per application for initial certification and renewal, with annual adjustments beginning January 1, 2021 based on inflation and program utilization.

• Creates the Emergency Medical Services Peer Assistance Fund to support designated peer health assistance programs providing education, counseling, and treatment referrals for EMS providers dealing with physical, emotional, or psychological conditions.

• Allows EMS providers without employee assistance programs to voluntarily self-refer to qualified peer health assistance programs, with confidentiality protections for all program records and services.

• Authorizes the department to summarily suspend certification of EMS providers who are referred to the program and fail to attend or complete it, with rights to a formal hearing within two days of suspension notice.

• Appropriates $57,242 to the Department of Public Health and Environment for the 2019-20 fiscal year to implement the program, assuming 0.8 FTE staffing.