Sponsored by:
Senator KRISTIN M. CORRADO
District 40 (Bergen, Essex, Morris and Passaic)
Senator JOSEPH P. CRYAN
District 20 (Union)
SYNOPSIS
Streamlines emergency medical technician certification process for certain veterans.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning emergency medical services and amending P.L.2013, c.101.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 1 of P.L.2013, c.101 (C.26:2K-65) is amended to read as follows:
1. a. As used in this section, “servicemember” means an enlisted person of any branch of the active duty or reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States or the National Guard of any state, or a veteran thereof who has been honorably discharged or released under honorable circumstances.
b. The Commissioner of Health [and Senior Services], with the approval of the State Board of Medical Examiners, shall establish written standards which [a person] an applicant, who is not a servicemember, shall successfully complete in order to be certified as an EMT-Basic.
[Applicants] c. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, an applicant for EMT-Basic certification, who [have equivalent military training or experience in any branch of the active duty or reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States or the National Guard of any state] is a servicemember, shall be certified by the commissioner [if the commissioner determines that the applicant's military training and experience exceed or are equivalent to the certification standards established by the commissioner] as an EMT-Basic, if the applicant:
(1) possesses a current emergency medical technician certification from the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians;
(2) has served or currently serves as a Combat Army Medic, a Navy Hospital Corpsman, or as the equivalent of a Combat Army Medic or a Navy Hospital Corpsman in a separate branch of the Armed Forces or the National Guard of any state; and
(3) completes and passes a criminal history record background check under standards established by the commissioner.
d. The commissioner shall publish a clear and comprehensible explanation of the current EMT-Basic certification requirements for eligible servicemembers on the Department of Health’s Internet website, which can be easily found and navigated by the general public following an Internet search.
(cf: P.L.2013, c.101, s.1)
2. (New section) The Commission of Health shall adopt rules and regulations pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) if necessary to implement the provisions of this act.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill streamlines the emergency medical technician certification process for certain veterans.
The bill amends current law to provide that an applicant for emergency medical technician (EMT-Basic) certification, who is a servicemember, is to be certified by the Commissioner of Health (commissioner) as an EMT-Basic, if the applicant: (1) possesses a current emergency medical technician certification from the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians; (2) served or currently serves as a Combat Army Medic, a Navy Hospital Corpsman, or as the equivalent of a Combat Army Medic or a Navy Hospital Corpsman in a separate branch of the Armed Forces or the National Guard of any state; and (3) completes and passes a criminal history record background check under standards established by the commissioner.
The bill defines “servicemember” to mean an enlisted person of any branch of the active duty or reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States or the National Guard of any state, or a veteran thereof who has been honorably discharged or released under honorable circumstances.
Under the bill, , the commissioner is to publish a clear and comprehensible explanation of the current EMT-Basic certification requirements for eligible servicemembers on the Department of Health’s Internet website, which can be easily found and navigated by the general public following an Internet search.