Bill Text: CA AB1776 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Assembly Bill 1776 (Prior Session Legislation)

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: Emergency medical transport of police dogs: pilot project.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2018-09-06 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 272, Statutes of 2018. [AB1776 Detail]

Download: California-2017-AB1776-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 1776

Introduced by Assembly Member Steinorth

January 04, 2018

An act to add Section 1797.10 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to emergency medical services.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1776, as introduced, Steinorth. Emergency medical transportation: transport of police dogs.

Existing law, the Emergency Medical Services System and the Prehospital Emergency Medical Care Personnel Act, establishes the Emergency Medical Services Authority, among other things, to establish training standards for Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) at various levels, including EMT-I, EMT-II, and EMT-P. Existing law makes a firefighter, police officer or other law enforcement officer, EMT-I, EMT-II, EMT-P, or registered nurse who renders emergency medical services at the scene of an emergency or during an emergency air or ground ambulance transport only liable in civil damages for acts or omissions performed in a grossly negligent manner or acts or omissions not performed in good faith. Existing law exempts the public agency employer of the firefighter, police officer or other law enforcement officer, EMT-I, EMT-II, EMT-P, or registered nurse from civil liability if the employee is not liable.

This bill would authorize an EMT-I, EMT-II, or EMT-P to transport a police dog, as defined, injured in the line of duty to a facility that is capable of providing veterinary medical services to the injured police dog if there is not a person requiring medical attention or medical transportation at the time the decision is made to transport the police dog. The bill would also exempt an EMT-I, EMT-II, EMT-P who provides emergency medical transportation for a police dog, or the EMT’s employer, from liability for civil damages resulting from an act or omission relating to the transport of the police dog, unless the act or omission constitutes gross negligence or is performed in bad faith.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 1797.10 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:

1797.10.

(a) An EMT-I, EMT-II, or EMT-P may provide emergency medical transportation for a police dog injured in the line of duty to a facility that is capable of providing veterinary medical services to the injured police dog if there is not a person requiring medical attention or medical transportation at the time the decision is made to transport the police dog.

(b) An EMT-I, EMT-II, or EMT-P who provides emergency medical transportation for a police dog pursuant to subdivision (a) shall not be liable for civil damages resulting from an act or omission relating to the transport of the police dog, unless the act or omission constitutes gross negligence or is performed in bad faith. The entity employing the EMT-I, EMT-II, or EMT-P that provided emergency medical transportation to a police dog pursuant to subdivision (a) shall not be liable for civil damages if the employee is not liable.

(c) For purposes of this section, “police dog” means a dog being used by a peace officer in the discharge or attempted discharge of his or her duties and includes, but is not limited to, a search and rescue dog, passive alert dog, and service dog.