An Act To Authorize Regional Medical Control Committees To Have Access to Maine Emergency Medical Services Data for Purposes of Quality Improvement
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1735
Committee: Criminal Justice and Public Safety
Sponsors: THIBODEAU, TIMBERLAKE, DAVIS, DESCHAMBAULT, DIAMOND, VOLK, DENNO, GILLWAY, GOLDEN, MAREAN
Amends: 32 MRSA §89, 32 MRSA §91-B

Legislative Document
No. 1735
S.P. 634
In Senate, December 22, 2017
An Act To Authorize Regional Medical Control Committees To 
Have Access to Maine Emergency Medical Services Data for 
Purposes of Quality Improvement
(EMERGENCY)
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203.
Received by the Secretary of the Senate on December 19, 2017.  Referred to the Committee 
on Criminal Justice and Public Safety pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed.
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by President THIBODEAU of Waldo.
Cosponsored by Representative TIMBERLAKE of Turner and
Senators: DAVIS of Piscataquis, DESCHAMBAULT of York, DIAMOND of Cumberland, 
VOLK of Cumberland, Representatives: DENNO of Cumberland, GILLWAY of Searsport, 
GOLDEN of Lewiston, MAREAN of Hollis.
Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas, critical and lifesaving emergency medical services are provided to 
patients on a daily basis in both rural and urban areas; and
Whereas, circumstances arise in which the provision of emergency medical services 
requires review for the purposes of quality improvement so that services may be 
delivered in a safe and efficient manner that produces maximum benefit to the health of 
the patient; and
Whereas, delay in reviews increases the risk of service delivery that may be less 
safe or less efficient or does not produce maximum benefit to the health of the patient; 
and
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within 
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as 
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, 
therefore,
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  32 MRSA §89, sub-§2, ¶A, as amended by PL 1991, c. 588, §18, is 
further amended to read:
A.  Establishing a regional medical control committee to carry out a plan of quality 
improvement;
Sec. 2.  32 MRSA §91-B, sub-§2, ¶E, as amended by PL 2015, c. 82, §8, is 
further amended to read:
E.  Data collected by Maine Emergency Medical Services that allows identification of 
persons receiving emergency medical treatment may be released for purposes of 
research, public health surveillance and linkage with patient electronic medical 
records if the release is approved by the board, the Medical Direction and Practices 
Board and the director and may be released for the purposes of quality improvement 
to a regional medical control committee that has been approved by the board to carry 
out a plan of quality improvement.  
Information that specifically identifies 
individuals must be removed from the information disclosed pursuant to this 
paragraph, unless the board, the Medical Direction and Practices Board and the 
director determine that the release of such information is necessary for the purposes 
of the research, public health surveillance or linkage with patient electronic medical 
records or unless the release is for the purposes of quality improvement and is to a 
regional medical control committee that has been approved by the board to carry out 
a plan of quality improvement.
Emergency clause.  In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this 
legislation takes effect when approved.
SUMMARY
This bill, which is emergency legislation, authorizes a regional medical control 
committee that has been approved by the Department of Public Safety, Emergency 
Medical Services' Board to carry out a plan of quality improvement to have access to data 
collected by Maine Emergency Medical Services that allows identification of persons 
receiving emergency medical treatment for the purpose of quality improvement.