House Bill 155 stripped of medical protocol provision

By JOHN HULTGREN
Kentucky EMS Connection

FRANKFORT — An amended version of House Bill 155, without the medical protocol provision, was approved by the House Local Government Committee this afternoon in Frankfort.

The amended version was submitted at the start of the hearing by the bill's sponsor, Democratic House Majority Caucus Chairman Robert Damron (39th District).

The provision removed would have amended Kentucky Revised Statute 311A.180 to limit the review of medical protocols by the Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services to scope of practice issues and provide for possible medical errors in protocols to be reported by KBEMS to the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure.

All other provisions in the bill, which is generally considered a "housekeeping bill" for KBEMS but which also addressed continuing education and discipline, remained intact.

Rep. Damron stated that the protocol language was removed as a compromise with the Kentucky Medical Association. KMA was present but did not address the committee.

Earlier in the day, the Kentucky Ambulance Providers' Association Legislative Committee met and voted unanimously to support the bill in its entirety.

However, House Bill 155 was initiated by the Central Kentucky EMS Alliance, an unofficial EMS association that is not registered as an organization with the Kentucky Secretary of State.

Addressing the committee were Rep. Damron, KBEMS' Executive Director Brian Bishop, and CKEMSA representatives Charles O'Neal and Wendell Hatfield.

During the hearing, Rep. Steve Riggs, Chair of the House Local Government Committee, recognized Kentucky emergency medical services for the outstanding job that they do.

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