An Act To Improve Response to Sudden Cardiac Arrest by Requiring Training in the Delivery of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Methods by Telecommunications Technology
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1873
Committee: Criminal Justice and Public Safety
Sponsors: MARTIN, JACKSON, FECTEAU, WARREN, CARPENTER, DESCHAMBAULT, DOW, ROSEN
Amends: 25 MRSA §2921, 25 MRSA §2936

Legislative Document
No. 1873
H.P. 1339
House of Representatives, December 24, 2019
An Act To Improve Response to Sudden Cardiac Arrest by 
Requiring Training in the Delivery of Cardiopulmonary 
Resuscitation Methods by Telecommunications Technology
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203.
Received by the Clerk of the House on December 20, 2019.  Referred to the Committee on 
Criminal Justice and Public Safety pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to 
Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative MARTIN of Sinclair.
Cosponsored by President JACKSON of Aroostook and
Representatives: FECTEAU of Biddeford, WARREN of Hallowell, Senators: CARPENTER of 
Aroostook, DESCHAMBAULT of York, DOW of Lincoln, ROSEN of Hancock.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  25 MRSA §2921, sub-§5-B is enacted to read:
5-B. 
Emergency 
services 
telecommunicator. 
"Emergency 
services 
telecommunicator" means a person responsible for answering or communicating with a 
caller on a 9-1-1 call as an employee of or contractor for a public safety answering point, 
a public safety agency or a private safety agency.
Sec. 2.  25 MRSA §2921, sub-§16-A is enacted to read:
16-A.  T-CPR.  "T-CPR" means the most current, high-quality, evidence-based, 
nationally recognized cardiopulmonary resuscitation methods delivered through 
instruction to persons on the scene of a cardiac arrest by means of telecommunications 
technology.
Sec. 3.  25 MRSA §2936 is enacted to read:
§2936.  T-CPR training
Training in T-CPR must be provided as follows.
1.  T-CPR training required.  An emergency services telecommunicator that 
responds to calls involving emergency medical conditions must be trained in T-CPR.  The 
training must incorporate recognition protocols for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and 
compression-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation instructions for callers and must provide 
for continuing education.
2.  Monitoring and enforcement.  The department, in consultation with the bureau, 
shall establish by rule a procedure for monitoring adherence by emergency services 
telecommunicators, public safety answering points, public safety agencies and private 
safety agencies to the requirements of this section.  The department may provide for 
adjustments in funding to public safety answering points for failure to comply with this 
section.  Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined 
in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
SUMMARY
This bill defines "emergency services telecommunicator" and requires all emergency 
services telecommunicators that provide dispatch for calls involving emergency medical 
conditions to be trained in the delivery of cardiopulmonary resuscitation methods by 
telecommunications technology.  The training must incorporate recognition protocols for 
out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and compression-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation 
instruction and provide for continuing education.  The bill requires the Department of 
Public Safety and the Emergency Services Communication Bureau within the Public 
Utilities Commission to establish a procedure to monitor compliance and allows the 
department to sanction noncompliance by adjusting funding.