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Committee consolidates EMS rule chapters and reduces continuing‑education hours to align with neighboring states
Summary
The committee approved consolidation of multiple EMS rule chapters into one and lowered required continuing‑education hours for EMS personnel to match averages among contiguous states; the committee also approved a batch of chapter repeals.
The Senate Health and Welfare Committee approved consolidation of multiple Emergency Medical Services (EMS) rule chapters into a single chapter and lowered continuing‑education (CE) hour requirements to align with the average among Idaho's contiguous states.
Jared Larson said the department consolidated subsequent EMS chapters into one and reduced CE requirements: emergency medical technicians from 8 to 5 hours per year, advanced EMTs from 16 to 12 hours per year, an intermediate level from 27 to 20 hours per year, and paramedics from 36 to 30 hours per year. Larson attributed the change to the Occupational Licensing Reform Act (House Bill 705), which requires taking neighboring states' averages into account for licensing requirements.
Wayne Denny, chief of the Bureau of EMS and Preparedness, told the committee the department compared per‑year hours across neighboring states and prorated requirements where state licenses run multiple years. The change is intended to reduce regulatory burdens that were discouraging licensed EMS personnel from relocating to Idaho and to address statewide EMS staffing challenges.
Committee members heard that there were public outreach sessions (two public hearings and regional conference discussions in April) and email outreach to EMS providers during the rulemaking. The committee approved the consolidation docket and then approved a set of chapter repeals in a single motion after members agreed to bundle them.
The dockets were approved by voice vote; Senator Wintrow moved the bundled repeal motion and Senator Harris seconded where recorded. The committee directed the department to continue outreach as implementation proceeds.
