Relates to qualifications to serve as an emergency medical technician

BILL NUMBER:S5542B

Title of bill

An act to amend the executive law, in relation to qualifications to serve as an emergency medical technician

Purpose or general idea of bill

This bill would require a prospective emergency medical technicians to be screened for sex offense convictions if the individual chooses to proceed with his or her application.

Summary of specific provisions

Section 1: Amends the Executive Law by adding a new section 837-s to require the chief officer of an ambulance company or service to search for sex offense conviction records when prospective EMT and other first responders apply for membership. Should such search reveal that the applicant has been convicted of a crime that requires registration as a sex offender, the ambulance company or service would be required to make a determination regarding eligibility consistent with Article 23-a of the Correction Law.

Section 2: Effective date.

Justification

Volunteer ambulance companies and proprietary ambulance services should be required to screen applicants against the sex offender registry, and should be able to determine if a person's status as a sex offender should be reason deny membership. Emergency medical technicians are usually in situations where children and families are present and vulnerable due to a medical emergency. It is also common for ambulance companies to participate in community and school events where children are present. This bill will increase the safety of the general public by allowing ambulance company and services to screen prospective EMTs and determine whether the applicant shall be eligible to become a member of such company or service.

Prior legislative history

New bill.

Fiscal implications

None.

Effective date

This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law.