Bill Text: NY A07608 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Amended


Bill Title: Authorizes emergency medical care personnel to provide basic first aid to dogs and cats.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-06 - advanced to third reading cal.395 [A07608 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A07608-Amended.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         7608--A

                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                      May 14, 2019
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M.  of  A. L. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the
          Committee on Higher Education -- reported and referred to the  Commit-
          tee  on Codes -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted
          as amended and recommitted to said committee

        AN ACT to amend the public health law and the education law, in relation
          to authorizing emergency medical service personnel  to  provide  basic
          first aid to cats and dogs under certain circumstances

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Section 3013 of the public health law is amended by  adding
     2  three new subdivisions 7, 8 and 9 to read as follows:
     3    7.  No  certified  first  responder,  emergency medical technician, or
     4  advanced emergency medical technician acting in accordance with  section
     5  three  thousand  eighteen  of this article, nor any ambulance service or
     6  advanced life support first response service of which such person  is  a
     7  member  or  employee,  who, in the course of responding to an emergency,
     8  renders basic first aid to a dog or cat pursuant to such section,  shall
     9  have any civil liability or have any liability for violating article one
    10  hundred  thirty-five  of  the  education  law, for the provision of such
    11  care, or any damages to or death of any  dog  or  cat  alleged  to  have
    12  occurred by reason of an act or omission where such person acted reason-
    13  ably  and in good faith in rendering such medical assistance in an emer-
    14  gency.
    15    8. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, any  licensed
    16  veterinarian  who  provides  off-site  instruction,  pursuant to section
    17  three thousand eighteen of this article, to any certified first  respon-
    18  der,  emergency medical technician or advanced emergency medical techni-
    19  cian providing basic first aid to a dog or cat shall not be  liable  for
    20  damages  for injuries or death alleged to have been sustained by any dog
    21  or cat as a result of such instruction  where  such  veterinarian  acted
    22  reasonably and in good faith in providing such instruction.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11577-02-9

        A. 7608--A                          2

     1    9.  The  commissioner  of  education  shall promulgate rules and regu-
     2  lations for the provision of basic first aid to dogs and cats  by  emer-
     3  gency medical care personnel pursuant to this section.
     4    §  2. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 3018 to
     5  read as follows:
     6    § 3018. Basic first aid to dogs and cats. 1. In the course of respond-
     7  ing to any emergency, a certified  first  responder,  emergency  medical
     8  technician  or  advanced emergency medical technician may, in accordance
     9  with the rules and regulations of the commissioner of education, provide
    10  basic first aid to a dog or cat prior to the transfer of such animal  to
    11  the care of a licensed veterinarian, provided however, that there are no
    12  persons  requiring medical attention or transportation at such time. The
    13  basic first aid provided to cats and dogs pursuant to this section shall
    14  be limited to the following, if the certified first responder, emergency
    15  medical technician or advanced emergency medical technician is able  and
    16  authorized to provide such care to a human:
    17    (a) opening and manually maintaining an airway;
    18    (b) providing mouth to mouth or mouth to barrier ventilation;
    19    (c) administering oxygen;
    20    (d) managing ventilation by mask;
    21    (e) controlling hemorrhage with direct pressure;
    22    (f) immobilizing fractures;
    23    (g) bandaging; and
    24    (h)  administering  naloxone hydrochloride to the extent authorized by
    25  law, rule or regulation and as directed by a licensed veterinarian.
    26    2. To the extent practicable, each certified first responder, emergen-
    27  cy medical technician or advanced emergency medical  technician,  during
    28  the course of providing basic first aid to a dog or cat pursuant to this
    29  section,  shall communicate with a licensed veterinarian for the purpose
    30  of consulting upon the provision of such care.
    31    3. The commissioner of education shall promulgate such rules and regu-
    32  lations as shall be  necessary  to  implement  the  provisions  of  this
    33  section.
    34    §  3.  Section  6702  of  the education law is amended by adding a new
    35  subdivision 3 to read as follows:
    36    3. Licensed veterinarians may provide  instruction  to  any  certified
    37  first  responder,  emergency  medical  technician  or advanced emergency
    38  medical technician providing basic first aid to a dog or cat pursuant to
    39  section three thousand eighteen of the public health law.
    40    § 4. The opening paragraph of section 6703 of  the  education  law  is
    41  designated  subdivision  1  and  a new subdivision 2 is added to read as
    42  follows:
    43    2. The commissioner shall promulgate rules  and  regulations  for  the
    44  provision  of basic first aid to dogs and cats by emergency medical care
    45  personnel pursuant to section three  thousand  eighteen  of  the  public
    46  health law.
    47    §  5.  Section  6705  of  the education law is amended by adding a new
    48  subdivision 16 to read as follows:
    49    16. A certified  first  responder,  emergency  medical  technician  or
    50  advanced  emergency  medical technician providing basic first aid to the
    51  extent authorized by section  three  thousand  eighteen  of  the  public
    52  health law.
    53    §  6. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a
    54  law.
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