Bill Full Text
Home
-
Bills
-
Bill
-
Authors
-
Dates
-
Locations
-
Analyses
-
Organizations
<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<ns0:MeasureDoc xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xmlns:ns0="http://lc.ca.gov/legalservices/schemas/caml.1#" xmlns:ns3="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" version="1.0" xsi:schemaLocation="http://lc.ca.gov/legalservices/schemas/caml.1# xca.1.xsd">
<ns0:Description>
<ns0:Id>20250AB__240598AMD</ns0:Id>
<ns0:VersionNum>98</ns0:VersionNum>
<ns0:History>
<ns0:Action>
<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-02-20</ns0:ActionDate>
</ns0:Action>
<ns0:Action>
<ns0:ActionText>AMENDED_ASSEMBLY</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-03-23</ns0:ActionDate>
</ns0:Action>
</ns0:History>
<ns0:LegislativeInfo>
<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
<ns0:SessionNum>0</ns0:SessionNum>
<ns0:MeasureType>AB</ns0:MeasureType>
<ns0:MeasureNum>2405</ns0:MeasureNum>
<ns0:MeasureState>AMD</ns0:MeasureState>
</ns0:LegislativeInfo>
<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Gipson</ns0:AuthorText>
<ns0:Authors>
<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Gipson</ns0:Name>
</ns0:Legislator>
</ns0:Authors>
<ns0:Title> An act to add Article 7.8 (commencing with Section 1797.285) to Chapter 4 of Division 2.5 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to emergency medical services.</ns0:Title>
<ns0:RelatingClause>emergency medical services</ns0:RelatingClause>
<ns0:GeneralSubject>
<ns0:Subject>Emergency Medical Services Act.</ns0:Subject>
</ns0:GeneralSubject>
<ns0:DigestText>
<html:p>Existing law, the Emergency Medical Services System and the Prehospital Emergency Medical Care Personnel Act, establishes the Emergency Medical Services Authority. Under existing law, the authority is responsible for the coordination and integration of all state activities concerning emergency medical services. Existing law requires local emergency medical services agencies to establish policies that govern, among other things, the transport and destination of patients within the emergency medical services system.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would require a law enforcement agency transporting a person to an emergency department to transport the person to the nearest
appropriate emergency department, as defined, except as specified. The bill would require each law enforcement agency to submit a quarterly report to the authority containing specified information regarding transports conducted pursuant to these provisions, including, among other things, the origin location of the transported person. By imposing additional duties on local law enforcement agencies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.</html:p>
<html:p>The bill would require the authority to publish the reports annually, as specified. The bill would require the authority to exercise regulatory oversight to implement and ensure compliance with these provisions and would authorize the authority to, among other things, conduct audits, as specified. The bill would authorize the Attorney General to bring a civil action for a violation of these provisions, as
specified.</html:p>
<html:p>The bill would make related findings and declarations.</html:p>
<html:p>The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.</html:p>
</ns0:DigestText>
<ns0:DigestKey>
<ns0:VoteRequired>MAJORITY</ns0:VoteRequired>
<ns0:Appropriation>NO</ns0:Appropriation>
<ns0:FiscalCommittee>YES</ns0:FiscalCommittee>
<ns0:LocalProgram>YES</ns0:LocalProgram>
</ns0:DigestKey>
<ns0:MeasureIndicators>
<ns0:ImmediateEffect>NO</ns0:ImmediateEffect>
<ns0:ImmediateEffectFlags>
<ns0:Urgency>NO</ns0:Urgency>
<ns0:TaxLevy>NO</ns0:TaxLevy>
<ns0:Election>NO</ns0:Election>
<ns0:UsualCurrentExpenses>NO</ns0:UsualCurrentExpenses>
<ns0:BudgetBill>NO</ns0:BudgetBill>
<ns0:Prop25TrailerBill>NO</ns0:Prop25TrailerBill>
</ns0:ImmediateEffectFlags>
</ns0:MeasureIndicators>
</ns0:Description>
<ns0:Bill id="bill">
<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
<ns0:BillSection id="id_34D23B49-CBF7-4653-9C93-73A1B1A84BC5">
<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:ActionLine action="IS_ADDED" ns3:href="urn:caml:codes:HSC:caml#xpointer(%2Fcaml%3ALawDoc%2Fcaml%3ACode%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'DIVISION'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'2.5.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'CHAPTER'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'4.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'ARTICLE'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'7.8.'%5D)" ns3:label="fractionType: LAW_SPREAD||commencingWith: 1797.285" ns3:type="locator">
Article 7.8 (commencing with Section 1797.285) is added to Chapter 4 of Division 2.5 of the
<ns0:DocName>Health and Safety Code</ns0:DocName>
, to read:
</ns0:ActionLine>
<ns0:Fragment>
<ns0:LawHeading id="id_AFBF4D2E-E763-43E7-BA19-1139D9AF8FF2" type="ARTICLE">
<ns0:Num>7.8.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:LawHeadingVersion id="id_9A459548-9EAE-4CD6-BE73-B806E6C23860">
<ns0:LawHeadingText>Emergency Medical Services Act</ns0:LawHeadingText>
</ns0:LawHeadingVersion>
<ns0:LawSection id="id_FAFB8041-AD18-4F7C-9473-C4E9E344B799">
<ns0:Num>1797.285.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:LawSectionVersion id="id_A64D4040-D76B-4C47-944C-DF9E84254BFB">
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Timely access to emergency medical care is a matter of statewide concern.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Currently, emergency medical services (EMS) personnel are required to transport patients to the nearest appropriate receiving facility consistent with established destination protocols.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
However, law enforcement agencies also frequently transport individuals who are determined to have a behavioral health need but are not subject to uniform statewide medical destination standards.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(4)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Inconsistent
transport practices may result in unsafe delays in care, overcrowding of safety-net hospitals, and inequitable distribution of emergency department utilization.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
It is the intent of the Legislature to align law enforcement medical transport practices with established EMS destination principles and ensure accountability.
</html:p>
</ns0:Content>
</ns0:LawSectionVersion>
</ns0:LawSection>
<ns0:LawSection id="id_6E5D83AF-7C76-4FF3-B6A5-5FA47EB8702F">
<ns0:Num>1797.286.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:LawSectionVersion id="id_1BEF6EC5-3289-44BA-B27D-B4BFBE5AA5A5">
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply:</html:p>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Law enforcement agency” means any city or municipal police department, county sheriff’s department, or other public agency that employs peace officers, as defined in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Title 3 of Part 2 of the Penal Code.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Nearest appropriate emergency department” means the licensed general acute care hospital emergency department that is geographically closest to where the peace officer first assumed custody of the individual for purposes of transport.
</html:p>
</ns0:Content>
</ns0:LawSectionVersion>
</ns0:LawSection>
<ns0:LawSection id="id_47CEC9F3-056F-4221-ACBD-05D56B193472">
<ns0:Num>1797.287.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:LawSectionVersion id="id_7B2C14F7-CF67-42BA-9B7E-ECC5429D0788">
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Any transport by law enforcement to an emergency department for any reason shall be to the nearest appropriate emergency department, except as provided in subdivision (b).
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
This section shall not apply to transports involving trauma, ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), stroke, or other conditions subject to established state or local specialty destination protocols.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Nothing in this section limits a peace officer’s ability to transport individuals to the appropriate alternative destination site, including sobering centers, detox centers, behavioral health crisis centers, psychiatric stabilization units, freestanding psychiatric hospitals, or designated or
contracted psychiatric emergency facilities.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(d)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Nothing in this section shall limit the authority of local EMS agencies to establish destination policies.
</html:p>
</ns0:Content>
</ns0:LawSectionVersion>
</ns0:LawSection>
<ns0:LawSection id="id_7F90ED83-DDCE-4ECE-AD01-C57335A67C00">
<ns0:Num>1797.288.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:LawSectionVersion id="id_9713A9D6-810D-46A0-B15D-B5EF7C339A09">
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Each law enforcement agency shall report quarterly to the Emergency Medical Services Authority, in a format prescribed by the authority, all transports conducted pursuant to this chapter.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Reported data shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Origin location of the transported individual.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Destination facility and the date and time of transport.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Stated rationale for destination selection.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(4)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Whether the destination was the nearest appropriate
emergency department or an alternative destination site.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(5)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Demographic information of the transported individual, excluding personally identifiable information.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The authority shall publish annual aggregate reports on its internet website.
</html:p>
</ns0:Content>
</ns0:LawSectionVersion>
</ns0:LawSection>
<ns0:LawSection id="id_D74F9F01-A560-487A-A5DB-9E1ED8D15D8B">
<ns0:Num>1797.289.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:LawSectionVersion id="id_7B98AEDB-A035-4FC3-B56B-C56DD03FD4DC">
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The Emergency Medical Services Authority shall have regulatory oversight authority to implement and ensure compliance with this chapter.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The authority may conduct audits, require corrective action plans, and impose administrative civil penalties, not to exceed twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000), per pattern of violation, as defined by regulation.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The Attorney General may bring a civil action for injunctive relief or civil penalties for a violation of this article.
</html:p>
</ns0:Content>
</ns0:LawSectionVersion>
</ns0:LawSection>
</ns0:LawHeading>
</ns0:Fragment>
</ns0:BillSection>
<ns0:BillSection id="id_E87EFF62-556E-4E16-B79A-8C005FBAB9DD">
<ns0:Num>SEC. 2.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.</html:p>
</ns0:Content>
</ns0:BillSection>
</ns0:Bill>
</ns0:MeasureDoc>