Public Act 102-0450
 
HB2864 EnrolledLRB102 13923 CPF 19274 b

    AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems
Act is amended by adding Section 3.89 as follows:
 
    (210 ILCS 50/3.89 new)
    Sec. 3.89. Rural populations; credential exception.
    (a) In a rural population of 5,000 or fewer inhabitants,
each EMS System Medical Director may create an exception to
the credentialing process to allow registered nurses,
physician assistants, and advanced practice registered nurses
to apply to serve as volunteers who perform the same work as
EMTs. As part of the volunteer recognition process, EMS
Systems shall ensure that registered nurses, physician
assistants, and advanced practice registered nurses have an
active license issued by the Department of Financial and
Professional Regulation. This system-level recognition shall
require documentation and proof of the completion of at least
20 hours of prehospital care-specific coursework approved by
the Department of Public Health, including, but not limited
to, airway management, ambulance operation, ambulance
equipment, extrication, telecommunication, prehospital
cardiac and trauma care, and 8 hours of observant riding time.
Each EMS System Medical Director who creates an exception to
the credentialing process under this Section may require
additional training or documentation and may reject a
volunteer applicant under this Section for just cause. Each
exemption period shall be no longer than one year, after which
time a volunteer applicant may apply for another exemption
under this Section. Each EMS System Medical Director is
responsible for ensuring that volunteer applicants meet EMS
System requirements for credentialing and authorizing the
practice in accordance with the EMS System plan for basic life
support. Exceptions to the credentialing process under this
Section are only allowable for volunteer EMS agencies in
Illinois.
    (b) The Department of Public Health may adopt rules to
implement this Section.