An Act To Clarify the Laws Governing the Licensing of Paramedics
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1236
Committee: Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services
Sponsors: HANDY
Amends: 32 MRSA §83, 32 MRSA §84, 32 MRSA §85, 32 MRSA §93-A

Legislative Document
No. 1236
H.P. 897
House of Representatives, March 14, 2019
An Act To Clarify the Laws Governing the Licensing of Paramedics
Reference to the Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services 
suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative HANDY of Lewiston.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  32 MRSA §83, sub-§§18-B and 18-C are enacted to read:
18-B.  Paramedic.  "Paramedic" means an emergency medical services person 
licensed to perform paramedic emergency medical treatment.
18-C.  Paramedic emergency medical treatment.  "Paramedic emergency medical 
treatment" means emergency medical treatment:
A.  Defined in rule by the board to be at the paramedic level of treatment; and
B.  That the board determines may be performed by persons licensed under this 
chapter within a system of emergency care approved by the board when acting under 
the supervision of:
(1)  A physician; or
(2)  A physician assistant or nurse practitioner, licensed by the State and 
authorized by a hospital to supervise and direct the actions of an emergency 
medical services person.
Sec. 2.  32 MRSA §84, sub-§1, ¶D, as amended by PL 2011, c. 271, §7, is further 
amended to read:
D.  Rules adopted pursuant to this chapter are routine technical rules as defined in 
Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A and must include, but are not limited to, the 
following: 
(1)  The composition of regional councils and the process by which they come to 
be recognized; 
(2)  The manner in which regional councils must report their activities and 
finances and the manner in which those activities must be carried out under this 
chapter; 
(4)  The requirements for licensure for all vehicles, persons and services subject 
to this chapter, including training and testing of personnel; and 
(5)  Fees to be charged for licenses under this section.
Sec. 3.  32 MRSA §85, sub-§2-A is enacted to read:
2-A.  Paramedic emergency medical treatment.  With the advice and consultation 
noted in subsection 1, the board may establish by rule the skills, techniques and 
judgments of a paramedic that may be supervised by a physician by means of standing 
orders, voice radio and other means. In every case, paramedic emergency medical 
treatment must be given in accordance with protocols adopted by the Medical Direction 
and Practices Board.
The board may establish by rule appropriate licensure levels for paramedics and the 
qualifications for persons to hold those licenses.
Sec. 4.  32 MRSA §93-A, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1991, c. 588, §25, is further 
amended to read:
1.  Emergency medical treatment supervision.  No A physician functioning within 
the medical control system established by the regional medical director and practicing in 
a hospital to or from which patients are transported under section 86 or health care 
practitioner under such a physician's supervision who gives oral or written instructions to 
a basic emergency medical services person or, an advanced emergency medical 
technician or a paramedic for the provision of emergency medical treatment outside the 
hospital may not be civilly liable for negligence as a result of issuing the instructions, if 
the instructions were in accordance with the protocol for the patient's reported condition.  
For the purpose of aiding in establishing the use of a protocol that permits the immunity 
provided in this subsection, the following provisions apply:
A.  The basic emergency medical services person or, advanced emergency medical 
technician or paramedic to whom the instructions are given shall document those 
instructions on the state ambulance run record; and
B.  The physician or health care practitioner giving the instructions shall maintain a 
medical control log documenting those instructions at the time they were given and 
shall sign the log.
The immunity provided in this subsection extends to the hospital in which the physician 
described in this subsection is practicing or the health care practitioner described in this 
subsection is being supervised.
SUMMARY
This bill defines paramedic and paramedic emergency medical treatment in the laws 
governing the provision of emergency medical treatment.  It also authorizes the 
Emergency Medical Services' Board to establish by rule appropriate licensure levels for 
paramedics and the qualifications for persons to hold those licenses.