Public Act 0623 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB0693 Enrolled LRB102 04346 CPF 14364 b

Public Act 102-0623

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 changing Sections 3.10, 3.50, 3.85, and 3.155 as follows:

(210 ILCS 50/3.10)

Sec. 3.10. Scope of services.

(a) "Advanced Life Support (ALS) Services" means an advanced level of pre-hospital and inter-hospital emergency care and non-emergency medical services that includes basic life support care, cardiac monitoring, cardiac defibrillation, electrocardiography, intravenous therapy, administration of medications, drugs and solutions, use of adjunctive medical devices, trauma care, and other authorized techniques and procedures, as outlined in the provisions of the National EMS Education Standards relating to Advanced Life Support and any modifications to that curriculum specified in rules adopted by the Department pursuant to this Act.

That care shall be initiated as authorized by the EMS Medical Director in a Department approved advanced life support EMS System, under the written or verbal direction of a physician licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches or under the verbal direction of an Emergency Communications Registered Nurse.

(b) "Intermediate Life Support (ILS) Services" means an intermediate level of pre-hospital and inter-hospital emergency care and non-emergency medical services that includes basic life support care plus intravenous cannulation and fluid therapy, invasive airway management, trauma care, and other authorized techniques and procedures, as outlined in the Intermediate Life Support national curriculum of the United States Department of Transportation and any modifications to that curriculum specified in rules adopted by the Department pursuant to this Act.

That care shall be initiated as authorized by the EMS Medical Director in a Department approved intermediate or advanced life support EMS System, under the written or verbal direction of a physician licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches or under the verbal direction of an Emergency Communications Registered Nurse.

(c) "Basic Life Support (BLS) Services" means a basic level of pre-hospital and inter-hospital emergency care and non-emergency medical services that includes medical monitoring, clinical observation, airway management, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), control of shock and bleeding and splinting of fractures, as outlined in the provisions of the National EMS Education Standards relating to Basic Life Support and any modifications to that curriculum specified in rules adopted by the Department pursuant to this Act.

That care shall be initiated, where authorized by the EMS Medical Director in a Department approved EMS System, under the written or verbal direction of a physician licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches or under the verbal direction of an Emergency Communications Registered Nurse.

(d) "Emergency Medical Responder Services" means a preliminary level of pre-hospital emergency care that includes cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), monitoring vital signs and control of bleeding, as outlined in the Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) curriculum of the National EMS Education Standards and any modifications to that curriculum specified in rules adopted by the Department pursuant to this Act.

(e) "Pre-hospital care" means those medical services rendered to patients for analytic, resuscitative, stabilizing, or preventive purposes, precedent to and during transportation of such patients to health care facilities.

(f) "Inter-hospital care" means those medical services rendered to patients for analytic, resuscitative, stabilizing, or preventive purposes, during transportation of such patients from one hospital to another hospital.

(f-5) "Critical care transport" means the pre-hospital or inter-hospital transportation of a critically injured or ill patient by a vehicle service provider, including the provision of medically necessary supplies and services, at a level of service beyond the scope of the Paramedic. When medically indicated for a patient, as determined by a physician licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches, an advanced practice registered nurse, or a physician's assistant, in compliance with subsections (b) and (c) of Section 3.155 of this Act, critical care transport may be provided by:

(1) Department-approved critical care transport providers, not owned or operated by a hospital, utilizing Paramedics with additional training, nurses, or other qualified health professionals; or

(2) Hospitals, when utilizing any vehicle service provider or any hospital-owned or operated vehicle service provider. Nothing in Public Act 96-1469 requires a hospital to use, or to be, a Department-approved critical care transport provider when transporting patients, including those critically injured or ill. Nothing in this Act shall restrict or prohibit a hospital from providing, or arranging for, the medically appropriate transport of any patient, as determined by a physician licensed to practice in all of its branches, an advanced practice registered nurse, or a physician's assistant.

(g) "Non-emergency medical services" means the provision of, and all actions necessary before and after the provision of, Basic Life Support (BLS) Services, Advanced Life Support (ALS) Services, and critical care transport medical care, clinical observation, or medical monitoring rendered to patients whose conditions do not meet this Act's definition of emergency, before, after, or during transportation of such patients to or from health care facilities visited for the purpose of obtaining medical or health care services which are not emergency in nature, using a vehicle regulated by this Act and personnel licensed under this Act.

(g-5) The Department shall have the authority to promulgate minimum standards for critical care transport providers through rules adopted pursuant to this Act. All critical care transport providers must function within a Department-approved EMS System. Nothing in Department rules shall restrict a hospital's ability to furnish personnel, equipment, and medical supplies to any vehicle service provider, including a critical care transport provider. Minimum critical care transport provider standards shall include, but are not limited to:

(1) Personnel staffing and licensure.

(2) Education, certification, and experience.

(3) Medical equipment and supplies.

(4) Vehicular standards.

(5) Treatment and transport protocols.

(6) Quality assurance and data collection.

(h) The provisions of this Act shall not apply to the use of an ambulance or SEMSV, unless and until emergency or non-emergency medical services are needed during the use of the ambulance or SEMSV.

(Source: P.A. 99-661, eff. 1-1-17; 100-513, eff. 1-1-18.)

(210 ILCS 50/3.50)

Sec. 3.50. Emergency Medical Services personnel licensure levels.

(a) "Emergency Medical Technician" or "EMT" means a person who has successfully completed a course in basic life support as approved by the Department, is currently licensed by the Department in accordance with standards prescribed by this Act and rules adopted by the Department pursuant to this Act, and practices within an EMS System. A valid Emergency Medical Technician-Basic (EMT-B) license issued under this Act shall continue to be valid and shall be recognized as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) license until the Emergency Medical Technician-Basic (EMT-B) license expires.

(b) "Emergency Medical Technician-Intermediate" or "EMT-I" means a person who has successfully completed a course in intermediate life support as approved by the Department, is currently licensed by the Department in accordance with standards prescribed by this Act and rules adopted by the Department pursuant to this Act, and practices within an Intermediate or Advanced Life Support EMS System.

(b-5) "Advanced Emergency Medical Technician" or "A-EMT" means a person who has successfully completed a course in basic and limited advanced emergency medical care as approved by the Department, is currently licensed by the Department in accordance with standards prescribed by this Act and rules adopted by the Department pursuant to this Act, and practices within an Intermediate or Advanced Life Support EMS System.

(c) "Paramedic (EMT-P)" means a person who has successfully completed a course in advanced life support care as approved by the Department, is licensed by the Department in accordance with standards prescribed by this Act and rules adopted by the Department pursuant to this Act, and practices within an Advanced Life Support EMS System. A valid Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic (EMT-P) license issued under this Act shall continue to be valid and shall be recognized as a Paramedic license until the Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic (EMT-P) license expires.

(c-5) "Emergency Medical Responder" or "EMR (First Responder)" means a person who has successfully completed a course in emergency medical response as approved by the Department and provides emergency medical response services prior to the arrival of an ambulance or specialized emergency medical services vehicle, in accordance with the level of care established by the National EMS Educational Standards Emergency Medical Responder course as modified by the Department, or who . An Emergency Medical Responder who provides services as part of an EMS System response plan shall comply with the applicable sections of the Program Plan, as approved by the Department, of that EMS System. The Department shall have the authority to adopt rules governing the curriculum, practice, and necessary equipment applicable to Emergency Medical Responders.

On August 15, 2014 (the effective date of Public Act 98-973), a person who is licensed by the Department as a First Responder and has completed a Department-approved course in first responder defibrillator training based on, or equivalent to, the National EMS Educational Standards or other standards previously recognized by the Department shall be eligible for licensure as an Emergency Medical Responder upon meeting the licensure requirements and submitting an application to the Department. A valid First Responder license issued under this Act shall continue to be valid and shall be recognized as an Emergency Medical Responder license until the First Responder license expires.

(c-10) All EMS Systems and licensees shall be fully compliant with the National EMS Education Standards, as modified by the Department in administrative rules, within 24 months after the adoption of the administrative rules.

(d) The Department shall have the authority and responsibility to:

(1) Prescribe education and training requirements, which includes training in the use of epinephrine, for all levels of EMS personnel except for EMRs, based on the National EMS Educational Standards and any modifications to those curricula specified by the Department through rules adopted pursuant to this Act.

(2) Prescribe licensure testing requirements for all levels of EMS personnel, which shall include a requirement that all phases of instruction, training, and field experience be completed before taking the appropriate licensure examination. Candidates may elect to take the appropriate National Registry examination in lieu of the Department's examination, but are responsible for making their own arrangements for taking the National Registry examination. In prescribing licensure testing requirements for honorably discharged members of the armed forces of the United States under this paragraph (2), the Department shall ensure that a candidate's military emergency medical training, emergency medical curriculum completed, and clinical experience, as described in paragraph (2.5), are recognized.

(2.5) Review applications for EMS personnel licensure from honorably discharged members of the armed forces of the United States with military emergency medical training. Applications shall be filed with the Department within one year after military discharge and shall contain: (i) proof of successful completion of military emergency medical training; (ii) a detailed description of the emergency medical curriculum completed; and (iii) a detailed description of the applicant's clinical experience. The Department may request additional and clarifying information. The Department shall evaluate the application, including the applicant's training and experience, consistent with the standards set forth under subsections (a), (b), (c), and (d) of Section 3.10. If the application clearly demonstrates that the training and experience meet such standards, the Department shall offer the applicant the opportunity to successfully complete a Department-approved EMS personnel examination for the level of license for which the applicant is qualified. Upon passage of an examination, the Department shall issue a license, which shall be subject to all provisions of this Act that are otherwise applicable to the level of EMS personnel license issued.

(3) License individuals as an EMR, EMT, EMT-I, A-EMT, or Paramedic who have met the Department's education, training and examination requirements.

(4) Prescribe annual continuing education and relicensure requirements for all EMS personnel licensure levels.

(5) Relicense individuals as an EMD, EMR, EMT, EMT-I, A-EMT, PHRN, PHAPRN, PHPA, or Paramedic every 4 years, based on their compliance with continuing education and relicensure requirements as required by the Department pursuant to this Act. Every 4 years, a Paramedic shall have 100 hours of approved continuing education, an EMT-I and an advanced EMT shall have 80 hours of approved continuing education, and an EMT shall have 60 hours of approved continuing education. An Illinois licensed EMR, EMD, EMT, EMT-I, A-EMT, Paramedic, ECRN, PHPA, PHAPRN, or PHRN whose license has been expired for less than 36 months may apply for reinstatement by the Department. Reinstatement shall require that the applicant (i) submit satisfactory proof of completion of continuing medical education and clinical requirements to be prescribed by the Department in an administrative rule; (ii) submit a positive recommendation from an Illinois EMS Medical Director attesting to the applicant's qualifications for retesting; and (iii) pass a Department approved test for the level of EMS personnel license sought to be reinstated.

(6) Grant inactive status to any EMR, EMD, EMT, EMT-I, A-EMT, Paramedic, ECRN, PHAPRN, PHPA, or PHRN who qualifies, based on standards and procedures established by the Department in rules adopted pursuant to this Act.

(7) Charge a fee for EMS personnel examination, licensure, and license renewal.

(8) Suspend, revoke, or refuse to issue or renew the license of any licensee, after an opportunity for an impartial hearing before a neutral administrative law judge appointed by the Director, where the preponderance of the evidence shows one or more of the following:

(A) The licensee has not met continuing education or relicensure requirements as prescribed by the Department;

(B) The licensee has failed to maintain proficiency in the level of skills for which he or she is licensed;

(C) The licensee, during the provision of medical services, engaged in dishonorable, unethical, or unprofessional conduct of a character likely to deceive, defraud, or harm the public;

(D) The licensee has failed to maintain or has violated standards of performance and conduct as prescribed by the Department in rules adopted pursuant to this Act or his or her EMS System's Program Plan;

(E) The licensee is physically impaired to the extent that he or she cannot physically perform the skills and functions for which he or she is licensed, as verified by a physician, unless the person is on inactive status pursuant to Department regulations;

(F) The licensee is mentally impaired to the extent that he or she cannot exercise the appropriate judgment, skill and safety for performing the functions for which he or she is licensed, as verified by a physician, unless the person is on inactive status pursuant to Department regulations;

(G) The licensee has violated this Act or any rule adopted by the Department pursuant to this Act; or

(H) The licensee has been convicted (or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere nolo-contendere) by a court of competent jurisdiction of a Class X, Class 1, or Class 2 felony in this State or an out-of-state equivalent offense.

(9) Prescribe education and training requirements in the administration and use of opioid antagonists for all levels of EMS personnel based on the National EMS Educational Standards and any modifications to those curricula specified by the Department through rules adopted pursuant to this Act.

(d-5) An EMR, EMD, EMT, EMT-I, A-EMT, Paramedic, ECRN, PHAPRN, PHPA, or PHRN who is a member of the Illinois National Guard or an Illinois State Trooper or who exclusively serves as a volunteer for units of local government with a population base of less than 5,000 or as a volunteer for a not-for-profit organization that serves a service area with a population base of less than 5,000 may submit an application to the Department for a waiver of the fees described under paragraph (7) of subsection (d) of this Section on a form prescribed by the Department.

The education requirements prescribed by the Department under this Section must allow for the suspension of those requirements in the case of a member of the armed services or reserve forces of the United States or a member of the Illinois National Guard who is on active duty pursuant to an executive order of the President of the United States, an act of the Congress of the United States, or an order of the Governor at the time that the member would otherwise be required to fulfill a particular education requirement. Such a person must fulfill the education requirement within 6 months after his or her release from active duty.

(e) In the event that any rule of the Department or an EMS Medical Director that requires testing for drug use as a condition of the applicable EMS personnel license conflicts with or duplicates a provision of a collective bargaining agreement that requires testing for drug use, that rule shall not apply to any person covered by the collective bargaining agreement.

(f) At the time of applying for or renewing his or her license, an applicant for a license or license renewal may submit an email address to the Department. The Department shall keep the email address on file as a form of contact for the individual. The Department shall send license renewal notices electronically and by mail to a licensee all licensees who provides provide the Department with his or her email address. The notices shall be sent at least 60 days prior to the expiration date of the license.

(Source: P.A. 100-1082, eff. 8-24-19; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-153, eff. 1-1-20; revised 12-3-19.)

(210 ILCS 50/3.85)

Sec. 3.85. Vehicle Service Providers.

(a) "Vehicle Service Provider" means an entity licensed by the Department to provide emergency or non-emergency medical services in compliance with this Act, the rules promulgated by the Department pursuant to this Act, and an operational plan approved by its EMS System(s), utilizing at least ambulances or specialized emergency medical service vehicles (SEMSV).

(1) "Ambulance" means any publicly or privately owned on-road vehicle that is specifically designed, constructed or modified and equipped, and is intended to be used for, and is maintained or operated for the emergency transportation of persons who are sick, injured, wounded or otherwise incapacitated or helpless, or the non-emergency medical transportation of persons who require the presence of medical personnel to monitor the individual's condition or medical apparatus being used on such individuals.

(2) "Specialized Emergency Medical Services Vehicle" or "SEMSV" means a vehicle or conveyance, other than those owned or operated by the federal government, that is primarily intended for use in transporting the sick or injured by means of air, water, or ground transportation, that is not an ambulance as defined in this Act. The term includes watercraft, aircraft and special purpose ground transport vehicles or conveyances not intended for use on public roads.

(3) An ambulance or SEMSV may also be designated as a Limited Operation Vehicle or Special-Use Vehicle:

(A) "Limited Operation Vehicle" means a vehicle which is licensed by the Department to provide basic, intermediate or advanced life support emergency or non-emergency medical services that are exclusively limited to specific events or locales.

(B) "Special-Use Vehicle" means any publicly or privately owned vehicle that is specifically designed, constructed or modified and equipped, and is intended to be used for, and is maintained or operated solely for the emergency or non-emergency transportation of a specific medical class or category of persons who are sick, injured, wounded or otherwise incapacitated or helpless (e.g. high-risk obstetrical patients, neonatal patients).

(C) "Reserve Ambulance" means a vehicle that meets all criteria set forth in this Section and all Department rules, except for the required inventory of medical supplies and durable medical equipment, which may be rapidly transferred from a fully functional ambulance to a reserve ambulance without the use of tools or special mechanical expertise.

(b) The Department shall have the authority and responsibility to:

(1) Require all Vehicle Service Providers, both publicly and privately owned, to function within an EMS System.

(2) Require a Vehicle Service Provider utilizing ambulances to have a primary affiliation with an EMS System within the EMS Region in which its Primary Service Area is located, which is the geographic areas in which the provider renders the majority of its emergency responses. This requirement shall not apply to Vehicle Service Providers which exclusively utilize Limited Operation Vehicles.

(3) Establish licensing standards and requirements for Vehicle Service Providers, through rules adopted pursuant to this Act, including but not limited to:

(A) Vehicle design, specification, operation and maintenance standards, including standards for the use of reserve ambulances;

(B) Equipment requirements;

(C) Staffing requirements; and

(D) License renewal at intervals determined by the Department, which shall be not less than every 4 years.

The Department's standards and requirements with respect to vehicle staffing for private, nonpublic local government employers must allow for an alternative rural staffing models that include an EMR who drives an ambulance with a licensed EMT, EMT-I, A-EMT, Paramedic, or PHRN, as appropriate, in the patient compartment providing care to the patient pursuant to the approval of the EMS System Program Plan developed and approved by the EMS Medical Director for an EMS System. The Department shall monitor the implementation and performance of alternative staffing models and may issue a notice of termination of an alternative staffing model only upon evidence that an EMS System Program Plan is not being adhered to.

An EMS System Program Plan for a Basic Life Support transport utilizing an EMR and an EMT shall include the following:

(A) Alternative staffing models for a Basic Life Support transport utilizing an EMR and an EMT shall only be utilized for interfacility Basic Life Support transports and medical appointments, excluding any transport to or from a dialysis center.

(B) Protocols that shall include dispatch procedures to properly screen and assess patients for EMR-staffed and EMT-staffed Basic Life Support transport.

(C) A requirement that a provider shall implement a quality assurance plan with mechanisms outlined to audit dispatch screening and the outcome of transports performed.

(D) The EMT shall have at least one year of experience in performance of pre-hospital emergency care.

(E) The licensed EMR must complete a defensive driving course prior to participation in the Department's alternative staffing model.

(F) The length of the EMS System Program Plan for a Basic Life Support transport utilizing an EMR and an EMT shall be for one year, and must be renewed annually if proof of the criteria being met is submitted, validated, and approved by the EMS Medical Director for the EMS System and the Department.

The Department must allow for an alternative rural staffing model for those vehicle service providers that serve a rural or semi-rural population of 10,000 or fewer inhabitants and exclusively uses volunteers, paid-on-call, or a combination thereof.

(4) License all Vehicle Service Providers that have met the Department's requirements for licensure, unless such Provider is owned or licensed by the federal government. All Provider licenses issued by the Department shall specify the level and type of each vehicle covered by the license (BLS, ILS, ALS, ambulance, SEMSV, limited operation vehicle, special use vehicle, reserve ambulance).

(5) Annually inspect all licensed vehicles operated by Vehicle Service Providers.

(6) Suspend, revoke, refuse to issue or refuse to renew the license of any Vehicle Service Provider, or that portion of a license pertaining to a specific vehicle operated by the Provider, after an opportunity for a hearing, when findings show that the Provider or one or more of its vehicles has failed to comply with the standards and requirements of this Act or rules adopted by the Department pursuant to this Act.

(7) Issue an Emergency Suspension Order for any Provider or vehicle licensed under this Act, when the Director or his designee has determined that an immediate and serious danger to the public health, safety and welfare exists. Suspension or revocation proceedings which offer an opportunity for hearing shall be promptly initiated after the Emergency Suspension Order has been issued.

(8) Exempt any licensed vehicle from subsequent vehicle design standards or specifications required by the Department, as long as said vehicle is continuously in compliance with the vehicle design standards and specifications originally applicable to that vehicle, or until said vehicle's title of ownership is transferred.

(9) Exempt any vehicle (except an SEMSV) which was being used as an ambulance on or before December 15, 1980, from vehicle design standards and specifications required by the Department, until said vehicle's title of ownership is transferred. Such vehicles shall not be exempt from all other licensing standards and requirements prescribed by the Department.

(10) Prohibit any Vehicle Service Provider from advertising, identifying its vehicles, or disseminating information in a false or misleading manner concerning the Provider's type and level of vehicles, location, primary service area, response times, level of personnel, licensure status or System participation.

(10.5) Prohibit any Vehicle Service Provider, whether municipal, private, or hospital-owned, from advertising itself as a critical care transport provider unless it participates in a Department-approved EMS System critical care transport plan.

(11) Charge each Vehicle Service Provider a fee per transport vehicle, due annually at time of inspection. The fee per transport vehicle shall be set by administrative rule by the Department and shall not exceed 100 vehicles per provider.

(Source: P.A. 97-333, eff. 8-12-11; 97-1014, eff. 1-1-13; 98-452, eff. 1-1-14.)

(210 ILCS 50/3.155)

Sec. 3.155. General Provisions.

(a) Authority and responsibility for the EMS System shall be vested in the EMS Resource Hospital, through the EMS Medical Director or his designee.

(b) For an inter-hospital emergency or non-emergency medical transport, in which the physician from the sending hospital provides the EMS personnel with written medical orders, such written medical orders cannot exceed the scope of care which the EMS personnel are authorized to render pursuant to this Act.

(c) For an inter-hospital emergency or non-emergency medical transport of a patient who requires medical care beyond the scope of care which the EMS personnel are authorized to render pursuant to this Act, a qualified physician, nurse, perfusionist, or respiratory therapist familiar with the scope of care needed must accompany the patient and the transferring hospital and physician shall assume medical responsibility for that portion of the medical care.

(d) No emergency medical services vehicles or personnel from another State or nation may be utilized on a regular basis to pick up and transport patients within this State without first complying with this Act and all rules adopted by the Department pursuant to this Act.

(e) This Act shall not prevent emergency medical services vehicles or personnel from another State or nation from rendering requested assistance in this State in a disaster situation, or operating from a location outside the State and occasionally transporting patients into this State for needed medical care. Except as provided in Section 31 of this Act, this Act shall not provide immunity from liability for such activities.

(f) Except as provided in subsection (e) of this Section, no person or entity shall transport emergency or non-emergency patients by ambulance, SEMSV, or medical carrier without first complying with the provisions of this Act and all rules adopted pursuant to this Act.

(g) Nothing in this Act or the rules adopted by the Department under this Act shall be construed to authorize any medical treatment to or transportation of any person who objects on religious grounds.

(h) Patients, individuals who accompany a patient, and emergency medical services personnel may not smoke while inside an ambulance or SEMSV. The Department of Public Health may impose a civil penalty on an individual who violates this subsection in the amount of $100.

(i) When a patient has been determined by EMS personnel to (1) have no immediate life-threatening injuries or illness, (2) not be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, (3) have no immediate or obvious need for transport to an emergency department, and (4) have an immediate need for transport to an EMS System-approved mental health facility, the EMS personnel may contact Online Medical Control or his or her EMS Medical Director or Emergency Communications Registered Nurse to request bypass or diversion of the closest emergency department, as outlined in paragraph (5) of subsection (c) of Section 3.20, and request transport to the closest or appropriate EMS System-approved mental health facility. In addition, EMS personnel may transport a patient to an EMS System-approved urgent care or immediate care facility that meets the proper criteria and is approved by Online Medical Control or his or her EMS Medical Director or Emergency Communications Registered Nurse.

(Source: P.A. 92-376, eff. 8-15-01.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.

Effective Date: 8/27/2021