AN ACT CONCERNING THE ADMISSION OF VETERANS TO HOSPITALS AND THE APPLICATION OF MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL TRAINING TO STATE LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 27-102m of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2014):
The commissioner, in his or her discretion, shall investigate all complaints made to [him] the commissioner with respect to the conduct or treatment of veterans, their spouses, or eligible dependents and family members receiving services under this chapter, or any program administered by the department and for such purpose shall have power to compel the attendance of witnesses under oath. If upon the completion of such investigation, the commissioner finds that any veteran, spouse or eligible dependent has not received proper care or has been ill treated or abused by any officer or employee, the commissioner shall, in his or her discretion, cause the offender to be prosecuted, disciplined or dismissed and shall order such remedial action as [he] the commissioner deems necessary to eliminate the condition. If upon such investigation, the commissioner finds that no adequate grounds exist for such complaint, the commissioner shall certify that fact to the officer or employee involved and cause such officer's or employee's record to be cleared of the incident.
Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 27-108 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2014):
(a) Any veteran, as defined in subsection (a) of section 27-103, who meets active military, naval or air service requirements, as [defined] described in 38 USC 101, may apply for admission to the home; and any such veteran who has no adequate means of support, and who, from disease, wounds or accident, needs medical or surgical care and treatment or who has become mentally ill, [and who has no adequate means of support,] may be admitted to any hospital and receive necessary food, clothing, care and treatment therein, at the expense of the state, unless other funds or means of payment are available. Whenever a person is admitted to a hospital, such person shall be asked if he or she is a veteran. Before a hospital submits a bill for services pursuant to this section, such hospital shall take sufficient steps to determine that no other funds or means of payment are available to cover the cost of services rendered to the veteran. The Department of Veterans' Affairs shall make available to hospitals a list of payment options and benefits available to cover hospital costs of veterans.
Sec. 3. Section 19a-179 of the general statutes, as amended by section 13 of public act 14-131, is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2014):
(a) The commissioner shall adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, concerning (1) the methods and conditions for the issuance, renewal and reinstatement of licensure and certification or recertification of emergency medical service personnel, (2) the methods and conditions for licensure and certification of the operations, facilities and equipment enumerated in section 19a-177, (3) complaint procedures for the public and any emergency medical service organization, and (4) exemption of members of the armed forces or the National Guard or veterans with appropriate military training, including, but not limited to, members of the armed forces or the National Guard or veterans with a designation by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians and veterans or members of the United States Navy and Coast Guard, from training and testing requirements for emergency medical technician licensure and certification. Such regulations shall be in conformity with the policies and standards established by the commissioner. Such regulations shall require that, as an express condition of the purchase of any business holding a primary service area, the purchaser shall agree to abide by any performance standards to which the purchased business was obligated pursuant to its agreement with the municipality.
(b) The commissioner may issue an emergency medical technician certificate to an applicant who presents evidence satisfactory to the commissioner that the applicant (1) is currently certified as an emergency medical technician in good standing in any New England state, New York or New Jersey, (2) has completed an initial training program consistent with the United States Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration emergency medical technician curriculum, and (3) has no pending disciplinary action or unresolved complaint against him or her.
(c) The commissioner may issue a temporary emergency medical technician certificate to an applicant who presents evidence satisfactory to the commissioner that (1) the applicant was certified by the department as an emergency medical technician prior to becoming licensed as a paramedic pursuant to section 20-206ll, and (2) the applicant's certification as an emergency medical technician has expired and the applicant's license as a paramedic has become void pursuant to section 19a-88. Such temporary certificate shall be valid for a period not to exceed one year and shall not be renewable.
(d) An applicant who is issued a temporary emergency medical technician certificate pursuant to subsection (c) of this section may, prior to the expiration of such temporary certificate, apply to the department for:
(1) Renewal of such person's paramedic license, giving such person's name in full, such person's residence and business address and such other information as the department requests, provided the application for license renewal is accompanied by evidence satisfactory to the commissioner that the applicant was under the medical oversight of a sponsor hospital on the date the applicant's paramedic license became void for nonrenewal; or
(2) Recertification as an emergency medical technician, provided the application for recertification is accompanied by evidence satisfactory to the commissioner that the applicant completed emergency medical technician refresher training approved by the commissioner not later than one year after issuance of the temporary emergency medical technician certificate. The department shall recertify such person as an emergency medical technician without the examination required for initial certification specified in regulations adopted by the commissioner pursuant to this section.
(e) For purposes of subsection (d) of this section, "medical oversight" means the active surveillance by physicians of mobile intensive care sufficient for the assessment of overall practice levels, as defined by state-wide protocols, and "sponsor hospital" means a hospital that has agreed to maintain staff for the provision of medical oversight, supervision and direction to an emergency medical service organization, as defined in section 19a-175, and its personnel and has been approved for such activity by the Office of Emergency Medical Services.
[(f) The commissioner shall issue an emergency medical technician certification to an applicant who is a member of the armed forces or the National Guard or a veteran and who (1) presents evidence satisfactory to the commissioner that such applicant holds a current certification as a person entitled to perform similar services under a different designation by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, or (2) satisfies the regulations promulgated pursuant to subdivision (4) of subsection (a) of this section. Such applicant shall be exempt from any written or practical examination requirement for certification. ]
[(g)] (f) For the purposes of this section, "veteran" means any person who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable from active service in the armed forces and "armed forces" has the same meaning as provided in section 27-103.
Sec. 4. Section 20-206mm of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2014):
(a) Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c) of this section, an applicant for a license as a paramedic shall submit evidence satisfactory to the commissioner, as defined in section 19a-175, that the applicant has successfully (1) completed a mobile intensive care training program approved by the commissioner, and (2) passed an examination prescribed by the commissioner.
(b) An applicant for licensure by endorsement shall present evidence satisfactory to the commissioner that the applicant (1) is licensed or certified as a paramedic in another state or jurisdiction whose requirements for practicing in such capacity are substantially similar to or higher than those of this state and that the applicant has no pending disciplinary action or unresolved complaint against him or her, or (2) (A) is currently licensed or certified as a paramedic in good standing in any New England state, New York or New Jersey, (B) has completed an initial training program consistent with the United States Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration paramedic curriculum, and (C) has no pending disciplinary action or unresolved complaint against him or her.
(c) Any person who is certified as an emergency medical technician-paramedic by the Department of Public Health on October 1, 1997, shall be deemed a licensed paramedic. Any person so deemed shall renew his license pursuant to section 19a-88 for a fee of one hundred fifty dollars.
(d) The Commissioner of Public Health shall issue an emergency medical technician certification to an applicant who is a member of the armed forces or the National Guard or a veteran and who (1) presents evidence satisfactory to the commissioner that such applicant holds a current certification as a person entitled to perform similar services under a different designation by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, or (2) satisfies the regulations promulgated pursuant to subdivision (4) of subsection (a) of section 19a-179, as amended by this act. Such applicant shall be exempt from any written or practical examination requirement for certification.
(e) For the purposes of this section, "veteran" means any person who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable from active service in the armed forces and "armed forces" has the same meaning as provided in section 27-103.
Approved June 6, 2014