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Committee approves amendment to clarify team-leader role on critical-incident response teams
Summary
The committee accepted an amendment to House Bill 180 that narrows certification language for Critical Incident Stress Management teams after concerns that a $400 outside certification test could exclude volunteers. The amended bill passed the committee 11-0 and will be placed on consent.
Representative Mark Pru, the witness on House Bill 180, told the committee the amendment is intended to define a team leader and avoid imposing a costly outside certification requirement on volunteer responders.
The amendment and subsequent motion to pass the bill as amended were both approved by the committee. The clerk recorded the final motion to pass as amended as passing 11-0.
Representative Mark Pru, Hillsborough 15 (Manchester Ward 8), said he brought the amendment after team members raised concerns that the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation was charging a $400 fee for a certification test that volunteers would find burdensome. "The amendment is just adding a definition of a team leader," Pru said, adding that requiring the outside certification could force volunteers off teams: "a lot of team members reached out to me, and said, we can't afford to do that. We won't be able to be on the team." He described team practices that already provide oversight, including on-scene peer teams, travel in groups and access to a mental-health professional for debriefs and one-on-one coaching.
Committee members asked clarifying questions about whether teams must be municipal-affiliated and about the relationship between initial training and ongoing team leader responsibilities. Pru said the amendment cleans up language and allows both teams that are affiliated with a municipality and independent standing teams to continue operating: "My team used to be loosely affiliated with Nashville Fire, but not so much. And we actually became an independent standing team. And I want to make sure that that can still continue." He confirmed that initial ICISF training is typically provided and that teams use continuing education practices internally.
Representative Lamb moved to pass the bill with the amendment; Representative Leon seconded. Representative Schmidt formally moved the committee to report the bill as "ought to pass as amended" and Leon seconded that motion. The amendment (o261h) was accepted on a recorded roll call; the committee later voted to pass House Bill 180 as amended by amendment o261h by a recorded vote of 11-0. The committee placed the bill on consent.
The committee closed the public hearing and recessed to executive session before taking the recorded votes.
The amended language narrows the bill to clarify the team leader role and avoid imposing the external $400 exam as a barrier to volunteer participation; it does not add a new statewide certification requirement beyond existing training referenced in the bill text.
The committee did not ask for further study or additional conditions beyond the amendment voted on; the bill will proceed as amended on the committee's consent calendar.
