Bill Text: CA AB430 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Trauma care systems.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Failed) 2016-02-01 - From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [AB430 Detail]

Download: California-2015-AB430-Amended.html

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BILL NUMBER: AB 430	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 20, 2015

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Roger Hernández
    (   Principal coauthor:   Assembly Member
  Rodriguez   ) 

                        FEBRUARY 19, 2015

   An act to amend Section 1798.162 of, and to add Section 1797.120
to, the Health and Safety Code, relating to emergency medical
services.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 430, as amended, Roger Hernández. Trauma care systems.
   Existing law, the Emergency Medical Services System and the
Prehospital Emergency Medical Care Personnel Act, establishes the
Emergency Medical Services Authority, which is responsible for the
coordination and integration of all state agencies concerning
emergency medical services. Existing law requires the authority to
develop planning and implementation guidelines for emergency medical
services systems that addresses specified components, including data
collection and evaluation. The act authorizes each county to
establish an emergency medical services program under which the
county is required to designate a local emergency medical services
(EMS) agency. Existing law authorizes a local EMS agency to implement
a trauma care system only if the system meets the minimum standards
adopted by the authority, as prescribed. Existing law requires a
local EMS agency that elects to implement a trauma care system to
develop and submit a plan for that trauma care system to the
authority in accordance with regulations adopted by the authority.
   This bill would require a local EMS agency implementing a trauma
care system, as part of the minimum standards, to, among other
things, commission an independent nonprofit organization or
governmental entity qualified to assess trauma systems to conduct a
comprehensive regional assessment of equitability and access to its
trauma system, and would require the assessment to be performed in
conjunction with other local EMS agencies in that agency's region and
the regional trauma coordinating committee (RTCC) established by the
authority for that region. The bill would require the local EMS
agencies to submit the results of each assessment to the authority.
The bill would require that the assessments occur at least once every
5 years, but would authorize the RTCCs and the authority to
determine, after the initial assessment, whether it would be proper
for subsequent assessments to occur on a more frequent basis, as
specified. The bill would authorize the 5 RTCCs to assess and provide
recommendations to the local EMS agencies and the authority, and
would require the local EMS agencies implementing a trauma care
system to incorporate these recommendations into their respective
trauma care plans.
   This bill would require the authority to develop a statewide
trauma plan that addresses all aspects of a trauma care system and
would require the authority to report to the Legislature, by March 1,
2016, the status of the development or implementation of the
statewide trauma plan.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 1797.120 is added to the Health and Safety
Code, to read:
   1797.120.  (a) The authority shall develop a statewide trauma plan
that addresses all aspects of a trauma care system, including, but
not limited to, a statewide plan for trauma in the case of
bioterrorism, natural disasters, mass casualties, and access to
trauma care for rural and urban communities.
   (b) (1) By March 31, 2016, the authority shall report to the
Legislature, in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code,
the status of the development or implementation of the statewide
trauma plan.
   (2) The requirement for submitting a report imposed under
paragraph (1) is inoperative on March 31, 2020, pursuant to Section
10231.5 of the Government Code.
  SEC. 2.  Section 1798.162 of the Health and Safety Code is amended
to read:
   1798.162.  (a)  A local emergency medical services agency may
implement a trauma care system only if the system meets the minimum
standards set forth in the regulations for implementation established
by the authority and the plan required by Section 1797.257 has been
submitted to, and approved by, the authority.  Prior to
  Before  submitting the plan for the trauma care
system to the authority, a local emergency medical services agency
shall hold a public hearing and shall give adequate notice of the
public hearing to all hospitals and other interested parties in the
area proposed to be included in the system. This subdivision does not
preclude a local EMS agency from adopting trauma care system
standards which are more stringent than those established by the
regulations.
   (b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a) or any other provision of this
article, the Santa Clara County Emergency Medical Services Agency
may implement a trauma care system prior to the adoption of
regulations by the authority pursuant to Section 1798.161. If the
Santa Clara County Emergency Medical Services Agency implements a
trauma care system pursuant to this subdivision prior to the adoption
of those regulations by the authority, the agency shall prepare and
submit to the authority a trauma care system plan that conforms to
any regulations subsequently adopted by the authority.
   (c) A local emergency medical services agency implementing a
trauma care system shall, as part of the minimum standards adopted
pursuant to Section 1798.161, do both of the following:
   (1) Commission an independent nonprofit organization or
governmental entity qualified to assess trauma systems to conduct a
comprehensive regional assessment of equitability and access to its
trauma system. This assessment shall be performed on a regional
basis, in conjunction with other local emergency medical services
agencies in that agency's region and the regional trauma coordinating
committee (RTCC) established by the authority for that region. The
local emergency medical services agencies shall submit the results of
each assessment to the authority. These assessments shall occur at
least once every five years. After the first assessment, the RTCCs,
along with the authority, may determine whether it would be proper
for subsequent assessments to occur on a more frequent basis
depending on the outcomes of the initial assessment, including
outcomes with respect to access to trauma care for rural and urban
communities and trauma care in case of bioterrorism, natural
disasters, and mass casualties.
   (2) (A) Establish an oversight committee composed of
representatives from county departments who have expertise in trauma
care systems, as well as in bioterrorism preparedness programs, for
the purpose of assisting, and investigating the feasibility of,
health facilities in underserved areas serving as a trauma facility
within the trauma care system.
   (B) The oversight committee shall make  recommendations,
  recommendations  and shall report on its
activities to the local emergency medical services agency.
   (d) Each of the five RTCCs may assess and provide recommendations
to the local emergency medical services agencies and to the
authority. The local emergency medical services agencies implementing
a trauma care system shall incorporate these recommendations into
their respective trauma care plans and submit these revised plans to
the authority for approval.