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Rep. Prull seeks to extend time EMTs have to file run reports; committee questions accuracy concerns
Summary
House Bill 183 would extend the window for emergency medical personnel to file state run forms from 24 hours to a longer period (sponsor proposed seven days) to avoid overtime pay; committee members raised concerns about memory and patient care documentation and suggested a narrower approach tied to call severity or a five-day compromise.
Representative Mark Prull (Hillsborough 15) introduced House Bill 183, proposing to extend the time emergency medical personnel have to complete the state EMS run form. Prull said the current 24-hour requirement forces crews to work overtime to finish paperwork after long shifts. "Most of these get done on time, but where we have issues is very busy day towards the end of the shift. It's time to go home," Prull told the committee.
Prull initially proposed seven days to accommodate scheduling patterns where some crews have multiple days off in a row. He said the change would reduce unpaid overtime and be a practical fix for routine, non-emergent calls.
Committee members cautioned that delaying documentation can harm accuracy and downstream care. Representative Murphy, drawing on clinical experience, said the reason for short deadlines is to preserve memory and accuracy of clinical notes; others suggested a risk-based standard where only lower-acuity calls could use the extended window. Prull and members discussed classifying calls by dispatch categories (alpha, bravo, charlie, delta, echo) and using a management prerogative so supervisors can require immediate completion for higher-acuity incidents.
During questioning, Prull agreed to consider shortening his seven-day proposal; he said he'd accept a five-day deadline to accommodate shift patterns and also that critical calls (delta/echo) should remain required to be completed immediately. The committee encouraged the sponsor and interested members to work on an amendment that would specify which call levels may use the extended window or include supervisory discretion.
No committee vote was taken. The sponsor and members agreed to draft a narrower amendment reflecting acuity tiers or a five-day limit for routine, low-acuity calls.
