Let EMTs Give Vaccines

Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 3005-c to read as follows:

§ 3005-c. Vaccination by emergency medical technicians. 1. Emergency medical technicians may, pursuant to a non-patient specific order under sections sixty-nine hundred nine and sixty-five hundred twenty-seven of the education law and under the authority of an emergency medical services director while overseen or approved by the department of health or local health departments and operated under the medical supervision of licensed physicians, licensed physician assistants, or certified nurse practitioners administer immunizations to prevent influenza to

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

[ ] is old law to be omitted.

LBD13126-07-2

persons two years of age or older, and administer immunizations to prevent COVID-19 to persons eighteen years of age or older, provided that such individuals first receive training in the following areas, as determined by the commissioner after consultation with the commissioner of education:

(a) techniques, indications, precautions, contraindications, infection control practices;

(b) use of personal protective equipment sufficient to provide the basic level of competence for such tasks; and

(c) a current certificate in basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation, which at a minimum must include a certification in basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation by an online program that has received accreditation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), or the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education.

2. When an emergency medical technician administers an immunization to prevent influenza or COVID-19, they shall:

(a) report such administration to the department of health either through the statewide immunization information system or the citywide immunization registry under section twenty-one hundred sixty-eight of this chapter; and

(b) prior to administering the immunization, inform the patient or, where applicable, the person legally responsible for the patient, on the importance of having a primary health care practitioner.

§ 2. Subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (b) of subdivision 3 of section 2168 of the public health law, as amended by chapter 420 of the laws of 2014, is amended and a new subparagraph (iii) is added to read as follows:

(ii) A registered professional nurse, or a pharmacist who administers a vaccine pursuant to subdivision two of section sixty-eight hundred one of the education law, or an emergency medical technician who administers an immunization to prevent influenza or COVID-19 under section three thousand five-c of this chapter, to a person nineteen years of age or older, shall report, with the consent of the vaccinee, all such immunizations to the department in a format prescribed by the commissioner within fourteen days of administration of such immunizations. Registered professional nurses or pharmacists administering immunizations pursuant to subdivision two of section sixty-eight hundred one of the education law, to persons nineteen years of age or older in the city of New York shall report, with the consent of the vaccinee, in a format prescribed by the city of New York commissioner of health and mental hygiene, all such immunizations to the citywide immunization registry.

(iii) An emergency medical technician who administers an immunization under section three thousand five-c of this chapter, to a person less than nineteen years of age, shall report all immunizations to the department in a format prescribed by the commissioner within fourteen days of administration of the immunizations. Emergency medical technicians administering such immunizations to persons less than nineteen years of age in the city of New York shall report, in a format prescribed by the city of New York commissioner of health and mental hygiene, all immunizations to the citywide immunization registry.

§ 3. Section 6527 of the education law is amended by adding a new subdivision 7-b to read as follows:

7-b. A licensed physician may prescribe and order a non-patient specific order to an emergency medical technician pursuant to regulations made by the commissioner, and consistent with the public health law, for:

(a) administering immunizations to prevent influenza to persons two years of age or older; and

(b) administering immunizations to prevent COVID-19 to persons eighteen years of age or older.

§ 4. Section 6909 of the education law is amended by adding a new subdivision 11 to read as follows:

11. A certified nurse practitioner may prescribe and order a non-patient specific order to an emergency medical technician pursuant to regulations made by the commissioner, and consistent with the public health law, for:

(a) administering immunizations to prevent influenza to persons two years of age or older; and

(b) administering immunizations to prevent COVID-19 to persons eighteen years of age or older.

§ 5. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be deemed repealed June 1, 2024.