Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official page posted by the Alaska State Legislature, fetched 2026-08-28. Where this bill amends existing law, language marked for deletion in the official page appears here in brackets. This is the enrolled version. The official bill page.
Enrolled HB 70 Relating to emergency medical services for operational canines; relating to the powers, duties, and liability of emergency medical technicians and mobile intensive care paramedics; relating to the practice of veterinary medicine; relating to civil liability of veterinarians; and providing for an effective date. _______________ * Section 1. AS 08.98.120(a) is amended to read: (a) A person may not practice veterinary medicine, surgery, or dentistry unless the person is licensed as a veterinarian under this chapter or has a temporary permit issued under AS 08.98.186, except that a person may perform [FUNCTIONS AUTHORIZED BY] (1) functions authorized by regulation of the board if the person is licensed as a veterinary technician; [OR] (2) functions authorized by a permit issued under AS 08.02.050 if the person is employed by an agency that has a permit issued under AS 08.02.050; or (3) emergency medical services on an operational canine under AS 18.08.093 if the person is certified as an emergency medical technician or licensed as a mobile intensive care paramedic. * Sec. 2. AS 09.65.097 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: (c) A veterinarian licensed in this jurisdiction who in good faith receives the transfer of an operational canine under AS 18.08.093(b) is not liable for civil damages as a result of an act or omission of the emergency medical technician or mobile intensive care paramedic who transferred the operational canine to the veterinarian. * Sec. 3. AS 18.08.075(a) is amended to read: (a) An emergency medical technician or mobile intensive care paramedic who responds to an emergency with an ambulance service or first responder service, who has in the technician's or mobile intensive care paramedic's possession a current emergency medical technician or mobile intensive care paramedic identification card, and who provides emergency medical care or other emergency medical service, has the authority to (1) control and direct activities at the accident site or emergency until the arrival of law enforcement personnel; (2) order a person other than the owner to leave a building or place in the vicinity of the accident or other emergency for the purpose of protecting the person from injury; (3) temporarily block a public highway, street, or private right-of-way while at the scene of an accident, illness, or emergency; (4) trespass on [UPON] property at or near the scene of an accident, illness, or emergency at any time of day or night; (5) enter a building, including a private dwelling, or premises where a report of an injury or illness has taken place or where there is a reasonable cause to believe an individual or operational canine has been injured or is ill to render emergency medical care; and (6) direct the removal or destruction of a motor vehicle or other thing that the emergency medical technician or mobile intensive care paramedic determines is necessary to prevent further harm to injured or ill individuals or operational canines. * Sec. 4. AS 18.08.082(a) is amended to read: (a) The department shall prescribe by regulation a course of training or other requirements prerequisite to the issuance of certificates or licenses that provide for the following: (1) certification of a person who meets the training and other requirements as an emergency medical technician, emergency medical technician instructor, or emergency medical dispatcher; (2) authorization for an emergency medical technician certified under this chapter to provide under the written or oral direction of a physician the advanced life support services enumerated on the certificate or enumerated on a written document filed with the department by the technician's medical director and approved by the department under its regulations; (3) certification that a person, organization, or government agency that provides an emergency medical service, conducts a training course for a mobile intensive care paramedic, or represents itself as a trauma center meets the minimum standards prescribed by the department for that service, course, or designation; (4) authorization for an emergency medical service certified under this chapter to provide under the written or oral direction of a physician the advanced life support services enumerated on the certificate or enumerated on a written document filed with the department by the medical director for the emergency medical service and approved by the department under its regulations; [AND] (5) licensure of a mobile intensive care paramedic and the medical services that a mobile intensive care paramedic may perform, including the (A) educational and other qualifications, which may include education in pain management and opioid use and addiction; (B) application and licensing procedures; (C) scope of activities authorized; and (D) responsibilities of a supervising or training physician; and (6) authorization for an emergency medical technician certified under this chapter or mobile intensive care paramedic licensed under this chapter to provide to operational canines the emergency medical services enumerated on a written document filed with the department by the medical director and approved by the department in regulation. * Sec. 5. AS 18.08.086(a) is amended to read: (a) A person certified or licensed under AS 18.08.082 who administers emergency medical services to an injured or sick person or who, under AS 18.08.093, administers emergency medical services to an operational canine, a person or public agency that employs, sponsors, directs, or controls the activities of persons certified or licensed under AS 18.08.082 who administer emergency medical services to an injured or sick person or who, under AS 18.08.093, administer emergency medical services to an operational canine, or a health care professional or emergency medical dispatcher acting within the scope of the person's certification or licensure who directs or advises a person to administer emergency medical services to an injured or sick person is not liable for civil damages as a result of an act or omission in administering those services or giving that advice or those directions if the administering, advising, and directing are done in good faith and the injured or sick person or operational canine reasonably seems to be in immediate danger of serious harm or death. This subsection does not preclude liability for civil damages that are the proximate result of gross negligence or intentional misconduct, nor preclude imposition of liability on a person or public agency that employs, sponsors, directs, or controls the activities of persons certified or licensed under AS 18.08.082 if the act or omission is a proximate result of a breach of duty to act created under this chapter. In this subsection, "gross negligence" means reckless, wilful, or wanton misconduct. * Sec. 6. AS 18.08.087 is amended to read: Sec. 18.08.087. Disclosure of medical records. When requested for the purpose of evaluating the performance of an emergency medical technician, mobile intensive care paramedic, or physician who provided emergency medical care or other assistance to a sick or injured person, a licensed physician, advanced practice registered nurse, or physician assistant may disclose to an emergency medical technician, [A] mobile intensive care paramedic, or physician the medical or hospital records of a sick or injured person to whom the paramedic, technician, or physician is providing or has rendered emergency medical care or assistance. [HOWEVER, THE DISCLOSING PHYSICIAN, ADVANCED PRACTICE REGISTERED NURSE, OR PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT SHALL LIMIT DISCLOSURE UNDER THIS SECTION TO THE RECORDS THAT ARE CONSIDERED NECESSARY BY THE DISCLOSER FOR EVALUATION OF THE PARAMEDIC'S, TECHNICIAN'S, OR PHYSICIAN'S PERFORMANCE IN PROVIDING THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE OR ASSISTANCE. A MOBILE INTENSIVE CARE PARAMEDIC, EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE TECHNICIAN, OR PHYSICIAN TO WHOM CONFIDENTIAL RECORDS ARE DISCLOSED UNDER THIS SECTION MAY NOT FURTHER DISCLOSE THE INFORMATION TO A PERSON NOT ENTITLED TO RECEIVE THAT INFORMATION UNDER THIS SECTION OR ANOTHER LAW.] * Sec. 7. AS 18.08.087 is amended by adding new subsections to read: (b) When requested for the purpose of evaluating the performance of an emergency medical technician or mobile intensive care paramedic who provided emergency medical care or other assistance to a sick or injured operational canine, a licensed veterinarian may disclose to an emergency medical technician or mobile intensive care paramedic the medical or hospital records of a sick or injured operational canine to whom the technician or paramedic is providing or has rendered emergency medical care or assistance. (c) An individual making a disclosure under this section shall limit the disclosure to the records that are considered necessary by the discloser for evaluation of the technician's, paramedic's, or physician's performance in providing the emergency medical care or assistance. An emergency medical care technician, mobile intensive care paramedic, physician, or veterinarian to whom confidential records are disclosed under this section may not further disclose the information to a person not entitled to receive that information under this section or another law. * Sec. 8. AS 18.08 is amended by adding a new section to read: Sec. 18.08.093. Emergency medical services for operational canines. (a) An emergency medical technician or mobile intensive care paramedic may provide emergency medical services to an operational canine if the emergency medical technician or mobile intensive care paramedic (1) reasonably determines that there is an immediate danger of serious harm to or death of the operational canine and that a veterinarian is unavailable to provide emergency medical services to the operational canine soon enough to address the danger; (2) is authorized to provide the emergency medical services to an operational canine under AS 18.08.082(a)(6); and (3) meets at least one of the following requirements: (A) the emergency medical technician or mobile intensive care paramedic has obtained informed consent from the owner of the operational canine or a person authorized to make medical decisions about the operational canine; (B) the emergency medical technician or mobile intensive care paramedic is employed by the governmental agency that owns or has authority to make medical decisions about the operational canine; or (C) the emergency medical technician or mobile intensive care paramedic provides the emergency medical service in accordance with a written protocol developed and approved by a veterinarian. (b) An emergency medical technician or mobile intensive care paramedic who provides an emergency medical service to an operational canine under (a) of this section shall transfer the operational canine to a licensed veterinarian at the earliest practicable opportunity. (c) An emergency medical technician or mobile intensive care paramedic may not provide emergency medical services to an operational canine under (a) of this section if a person requires emergency medical services from the emergency medical technician or mobile intensive care paramedic. * Sec. 9. AS 18.08.200 is amended by adding new paragraphs to read: (15) "operational canine" means a dog used (A) by law enforcement or other government agencies; or (B) in search and rescue operations; (16) "veterinarian" means a veterinarian licensed under AS 08.98. * Sec. 10. This Act takes effect January 1, 2026.
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