WEST virginia legislature
2019 regular session
Committee Substitute
for
Senate Bill 255
Senators Boso, Baldwin, and Maroney, original sponsors
[Originating in the Committee on Government Organization; Reported on January 18, 2019]
A BILL to amend and reenact §16-4C-5 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating generally to the Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council; reconfiguring and increasing the membership of the council by adding three voting citizen-members; and requiring three members to be representative of professional groups.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
ARTICLE 4C. EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES ACT.
§16-4C-5. Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council; duties; composition; appointment; meetings; compensation and expenses.
(a) The Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council, heretofore
created and established by former section seven of this article §16-4C-7
of this code, is continued for the purpose of developing, with the commissioner,
standards for emergency medical services personnel and for the purpose of
providing advice to the Office of Emergency Medical Services and the commissioner
with respect to reviewing and making recommendations for, and providing
assistance to, the establishment and maintenance of adequate emergency medical
services for all portions of this state.
(b) The council shall have the duty to advise the commissioner in all matters pertaining to his or her duties and functions in relation to carrying out the purposes of this article.
(c) The council
shall be composed of fifteen 18 members appointed by the Governor
by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Mountain State Emergency
Medical Services Association shall submit to the Governor a list of six names
of representatives from its Association and a list of three names shall be
submitted to the Governor of representatives of their respective organizations
by the County Commissioners’ Association of West Virginia, the West Virginia
State Firemen’s Association, the West Virginia Hospital Association, the West
Virginia Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians, the West
Virginia Emergency Medical Services Administrators Association, the West
Virginia Emergency Medical Services Coalition, the Ambulance Association of
West Virginia, and the state Department of Education. The Governor shall
appoint from the respective lists submitted two persons who represent the
Mountain State Emergency Medical Services Association, one of whom shall be a
paramedic and one of whom shall be an emergency medical technician-basic; and
one person from the County Commissioners’ Association of West Virginia, the
West Virginia State Firemen’s Association, the West Virginia Hospital
Association, the West Virginia Chapter of the American College of Emergency
Physicians, the West Virginia Emergency Medical Services Administrators
Association, the West Virginia Emergency Medical Services Coalition, the
Ambulance Association of West Virginia, and the state Department of Education.
In addition, the Governor shall appoint the following: one person to
represent emergency medical service providers operating within the state, one
person to represent small emergency medical service providers operating within
this state and three persons to represent the general public. Not more than six
of the members may be appointed from any one congressional district
(1) One person to represent emergency medical services providers operating within the state;
(2) One person to represent small emergency medical services providers operating within this state;
(3) One person to represent emergency medical services training officers or representatives;
(4) Two people to represent emergency medical services supervisors or administrators; and
(5) Three persons to represent the general public who shall serve as voting members.
(d) Not more than six of the members may be appointed from any one congressional district.
(d) (e)
Each term is to be for three years, and no member may serve more than four
consecutive terms.
(e) (f)
The council shall choose its own chairman and meet at the call of the
commissioner at least twice a year.
(f) (g)
The members of the council shall receive compensation and expense reimbursement
in an amount not to exceed the same compensation and expense reimbursement as
is paid to members of the Legislature for their interim duties as recommended
by the Citizens Legislative Compensation Commission and authorized by law for
each day, or substantial portion thereof, engaged in the performance of
official duties.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to reconfigure and increase the membership of the Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council by adding three voting citizen-members and requiring three members to be representative of professional groups.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.