SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS for CS for SB 572
Amendment No. ___ Barcode 623072
CHAMBER ACTION
Senate House
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11 Senator Fasano moved the following amendment:
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13 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
14 On page 4, line 24, delete that line
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16 and insert:
17 Section 4. Section 768.1335, Florida Statutes, is
18 created to read:
19 768.1335 Emergency Medical Dispatch Act;
20 presumption.--
21 (1) This section may be known by the popular name the
22 "Emergency Medical Dispatch Act."
23 (2) As used in this section:
24 (a) "Emergency medical dispatch" means the function of
25 utilizing emergency medical dispatch protocols.
26 (b) "Emergency medical dispatcher" means a person who
27 is trained or certified in the prompt and accurate processing
28 of calls for emergency medical assistance.
29 (c) "Emergency medical dispatch agency" means any
30 private or public entity that is responsible for the emergency
31 medical dispatch by emergency medical dispatchers.
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SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS for CS for SB 572
Amendment No. ___ Barcode 623072
1 (d) "Emergency medical dispatch protocol" means
2 guidelines for processing calls for emergency medical
3 assistance or for the dispatching of emergency medical
4 services in a prehospital setting, which are substantially
5 similar to standards set forth by the American Society for
6 Testing and Materials or the National Highway Traffic Safety
7 Administration and which have been incorporated into an
8 emergency medical dispatch training program.
9 (3) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the
10 contrary and unless otherwise immune under s. 768.28, any
11 emergency medical dispatcher or the emergency medical dispatch
12 agency, its agents, or employees who utilize emergency medical
13 dispatch protocols are presumed not to have acted negligently
14 regarding any injuries or damages resulting from the use of
15 emergency medical dispatch protocols, if the emergency medical
16 dispatcher or the emergency dispatch agency, its agents, or
17 employees:
18 (a) Properly trained their emergency medical
19 dispatchers in an emergency medical dispatch that is
20 substantially similar to standards set forth by the American
21 Society for Testing and Materials or the National Highway
22 Traffic Safety Administration;
23 (b) Implemented standard practices and management for
24 emergency medical dispatch or practices that are substantially
25 similar to standards set forth by the American Society for
26 Testing and Materials or the National Highway Traffic Safety
27 Administration; and
28 (c) Utilized standard practices for training,
29 instructor qualification, and certification eligibility of
30 emergency medical dispatchers or standards that are
31 substantially similar to the American Society for Testing and
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SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS for CS for SB 572
Amendment No. ___ Barcode 623072
1 Materials or the National Highway Traffic Safety
2 Administration.
3 Section 5. Section 401.111, Florida Statutes, is
4 amended to read:
5 401.111 Emergency medical services grant program;
6 authority.--The department is hereby authorized to make grants
7 to local agencies and emergency medical services organizations
8 in accordance with any agreement entered into pursuant to this
9 part. These grants shall be designed to assist said agencies
10 and organizations in providing emergency medical services,
11 including emergency medical dispatch. The cost of
12 administering this program shall be paid by the department
13 from funds appropriated to it.
14 Section 6. This act shall take effect July 1, 2003,
15 except that sections 4 and 5 of this act shall take effect
16 September 11, 2003.
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20 And the title is amended as follows:
21 Delete everything before the enacting clause
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23 and insert:
24 A bill to be entitled
25 An act relating to health care; amending s.
26 466.006, F.S.; allowing certain dental students
27 to take the examination required for practicing
28 dentistry in this state; creating s. 466.0065,
29 F.S.; allowing certain dental students to take
30 regional licensure examinations under specified
31 conditions; restricting the applicability of
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SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS for CS for SB 572
Amendment No. ___ Barcode 623072
1 examination results; requiring approval by the
2 Board of Dentistry and providing prerequisites
3 to such approval; providing an appropriation
4 and authorizing a position; creating s.
5 768.1335, F.S.; providing a short title;
6 providing definitions; providing a presumption
7 of non-negligence in the use of emergency
8 medical dispatch protocols by an emergency
9 medical dispatcher or the emergency medical
10 dispatch agency, its agents, or employees;
11 amending s. 401.111, F.S.; authorizing grants
12 by the Department of Health to emergency
13 medical dispatch agencies; providing effective
14 dates.
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16 WHEREAS, emergency medical dispatch programs promote
17 appropriate standards that result in more effective dispatch
18 of emergency services and the saving of lives, and
19 WHEREAS, the dispatcher is the first responder to a
20 medical emergency when someone dials 911 or calls a medical
21 dispatch agency directly, and dispatchers are being recognized
22 nationally as the true first responders to the emergency
23 scene, and
24 WHEREAS, an emergency medical dispatcher has an
25 immediate response time during which to offer basic
26 instructions to the caller regardless of the emergency medical
27 services response time and is crucial for the delivery and
28 receipt of information to EMS units, and
29 WHEREAS, an emergency medical dispatch program is a key
30 component of a quality EMS system, and
31 WHEREAS, organizations such as the American Heart
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SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS for CS for SB 572
Amendment No. ___ Barcode 623072
1 Association (AHA), the American College of Emergency
2 Physicians (ACEP), the National Association of Emergency
3 Medical Services Physicians (NAEMSP), the National Institute
4 of Health (NIH), the National Highway Traffic Safety
5 Administration (NHTSA), and the American Society of Testing
6 and Materials (ASTM) have endorsed the development and
7 adoption of standards for emergency medical dispatch, and
8 WHEREAS, a properly trained emergency medical
9 dispatcher significantly improves the quality of care provided
10 by an EMS system because the dispatcher is able to identify
11 the level of need of the caller, including resource
12 allocations and response modes, thus enabling more effective
13 and efficient dispatch of limited response resources; identify
14 situations that might require prearrival instructions; gather
15 information to be relayed to the responding crews to help them
16 better manage and respond to the emergency medical situation
17 upon arrival; and obtain information regarding emergency
18 medical scene safety for the patient, bystanders, and
19 responding personnel, and
20 WHEREAS, many states are now adopting a standard
21 emergency medical dispatch program, and
22 WHEREAS, the most successful EMS systems are those that
23 have strong field response times coupled with well-trained
24 emergency medical dispatchers, NOW, THEREFORE,
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