EMERGENCY MED SVCS; OPERATIONAL CANINES, the official text

00Enrolled HB 70
01Relating to emergency medical services for operational canines; relating to the powers, duties, 
02 and liability of emergency medical technicians and mobile intensive care paramedics; relating 
03 to the practice of veterinary medicine; relating to civil liability of veterinarians; and providing 
04 for an effective date. 
05 _______________ 
06 * Section 1. AS 08.98.120(a) is amended to read: 
07 (a) A person may not practice veterinary medicine, surgery, or dentistry unless 
08 the person is licensed as a veterinarian under this chapter or has a temporary permit 
09 issued under AS 08.98.186, except that a person may perform [FUNCTIONS 
10 AUTHORIZED BY] 
11 (1) functions authorized by regulation of the board if the person is 
12 licensed as a veterinary technician; [OR] 
13 (2) functions authorized by a permit issued under AS 08.02.050 if the 
14 person is employed by an agency that has a permit issued under AS 08.02.050; or

01 (3) emergency medical services on an operational canine under 
02 AS 18.08.093 if the person is certified as an emergency medical technician or 
03 licensed as a mobile intensive care paramedic. 
04 * Sec. 2. AS 09.65.097 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 
05 (c) A veterinarian licensed in this jurisdiction who in good faith receives the 
06 transfer of an operational canine under AS 18.08.093(b) is not liable for civil damages 
07 as a result of an act or omission of the emergency medical technician or mobile 
08 intensive care paramedic who transferred the operational canine to the veterinarian. 
09 * Sec. 3. AS 18.08.075(a) is amended to read: 
10 (a) An emergency medical technician or mobile intensive care paramedic who 
11 responds to an emergency with an ambulance service or first responder service, who 
12 has in the technician's or mobile intensive care paramedic's possession a current 
13 emergency medical technician or mobile intensive care paramedic identification card, 
14 and who provides emergency medical care or other emergency medical service, has 
15 the authority to 
16 (1) control and direct activities at the accident site or emergency until 
17 the arrival of law enforcement personnel; 
18 (2) order a person other than the owner to leave a building or place in 
19 the vicinity of the accident or other emergency for the purpose of protecting the person 
20 from injury; 
21 (3) temporarily block a public highway, street, or private right-of-way 
22 while at the scene of an accident, illness, or emergency; 
23 (4) trespass on [UPON] property at or near the scene of an accident, 
24 illness, or emergency at any time of day or night; 
25 (5) enter a building, including a private dwelling, or premises where a 
26 report of an injury or illness has taken place or where there is a reasonable cause to 
27 believe an individual or operational canine has been injured or is ill to render 
28 emergency medical care; and 
29 (6) direct the removal or destruction of a motor vehicle or other thing 
30 that the emergency medical technician or mobile intensive care paramedic determines 
31 is necessary to prevent further harm to injured or ill individuals or operational

01 canines. 
02 * Sec. 4. AS 18.08.082(a) is amended to read: 
03 (a) The department shall prescribe by regulation a course of training or other 
04 requirements prerequisite to the issuance of certificates or licenses that provide for the 
05 following: 
06 (1) certification of a person who meets the training and other 
07 requirements as an emergency medical technician, emergency medical technician 
08 instructor, or emergency medical dispatcher; 
09 (2) authorization for an emergency medical technician certified under 
10 this chapter to provide under the written or oral direction of a physician the advanced 
11 life support services enumerated on the certificate or enumerated on a written 
12 document filed with the department by the technician's medical director and approved 
13 by the department under its regulations; 
14 (3) certification that a person, organization, or government agency that 
15 provides an emergency medical service, conducts a training course for a mobile 
16 intensive care paramedic, or represents itself as a trauma center meets the minimum 
17 standards prescribed by the department for that service, course, or designation; 
18 (4) authorization for an emergency medical service certified under this 
19 chapter to provide under the written or oral direction of a physician the advanced life 
20 support services enumerated on the certificate or enumerated on a written document 
21 filed with the department by the medical director for the emergency medical service 
22 and approved by the department under its regulations; [AND] 
23 (5) licensure of a mobile intensive care paramedic and the medical 
24 services that a mobile intensive care paramedic may perform, including the 
25 (A) educational and other qualifications, which may include 
26 education in pain management and opioid use and addiction; 
27 (B) application and licensing procedures; 
28 (C) scope of activities authorized; and 
29 (D) responsibilities of a supervising or training physician; and 
30 (6) authorization for an emergency medical technician certified 
31 under this chapter or mobile intensive care paramedic licensed under this

01chapter to provide to operational canines the emergency medical services 
02 enumerated on a written document filed with the department by the medical 
03 director and approved by the department in regulation. 
04 * Sec. 5. AS 18.08.086(a) is amended to read: 
05 (a) A person certified or licensed under AS 18.08.082 who administers 
06 emergency medical services to an injured or sick person or who, under AS 18.08.093, 
07 administers emergency medical services to an operational canine, a person or 
08 public agency that employs, sponsors, directs, or controls the activities of persons 
09 certified or licensed under AS 18.08.082 who administer emergency medical services 
10 to an injured or sick person or who, under AS 18.08.093, administer emergency 
11 medical services to an operational canine, or a health care professional or 
12 emergency medical dispatcher acting within the scope of the person's certification or 
13 licensure who directs or advises a person to administer emergency medical services to 
14 an injured or sick person is not liable for civil damages as a result of an act or 
15 omission in administering those services or giving that advice or those directions if the 
16 administering, advising, and directing are done in good faith and the injured or sick 
17 person or operational canine reasonably seems to be in immediate danger of serious 
18 harm or death. This subsection does not preclude liability for civil damages that are 
19 the proximate result of gross negligence or intentional misconduct, nor preclude 
20 imposition of liability on a person or public agency that employs, sponsors, directs, or 
21 controls the activities of persons certified or licensed under AS 18.08.082 if the act or 
22 omission is a proximate result of a breach of duty to act created under this chapter. In 
23 this subsection, "gross negligence" means reckless, wilful, or wanton misconduct. 
24 * Sec. 6. AS 18.08.087 is amended to read: 
25 Sec. 18.08.087. Disclosure of medical records. When requested for the 
26 purpose of evaluating the performance of an emergency medical technician, mobile 
27 intensive care paramedic, or physician who provided emergency medical care or other 
28 assistance to a sick or injured person, a licensed physician, advanced practice 
29 registered nurse, or physician assistant may disclose to an emergency medical 
30 technician, [A] mobile intensive care paramedic, or physician the medical or hospital 
31 records of a sick or injured person to whom the paramedic, technician, or physician is

01providing or has rendered emergency medical care or assistance. [HOWEVER, THE 
02 DISCLOSING PHYSICIAN, ADVANCED PRACTICE REGISTERED NURSE, OR 
03 PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT SHALL LIMIT DISCLOSURE UNDER THIS SECTION 
04 TO THE RECORDS THAT ARE CONSIDERED NECESSARY BY THE 
05 DISCLOSER FOR EVALUATION OF THE PARAMEDIC'S, TECHNICIAN'S, OR 
06 PHYSICIAN'S PERFORMANCE IN PROVIDING THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL 
07 CARE OR ASSISTANCE. A MOBILE INTENSIVE CARE PARAMEDIC, 
08 EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE TECHNICIAN, OR PHYSICIAN TO WHOM 
09 CONFIDENTIAL RECORDS ARE DISCLOSED UNDER THIS SECTION MAY 
10 NOT FURTHER DISCLOSE THE INFORMATION TO A PERSON NOT 
11 ENTITLED TO RECEIVE THAT INFORMATION UNDER THIS SECTION OR 
12 ANOTHER LAW.] 
13 * Sec. 7. AS 18.08.087 is amended by adding new subsections to read: 
14 (b) When requested for the purpose of evaluating the performance of an 
15 emergency medical technician or mobile intensive care paramedic who provided 
16 emergency medical care or other assistance to a sick or injured operational canine, a 
17 licensed veterinarian may disclose to an emergency medical technician or mobile 
18 intensive care paramedic the medical or hospital records of a sick or injured 
19 operational canine to whom the technician or paramedic is providing or has rendered 
20 emergency medical care or assistance. 
21 (c) An individual making a disclosure under this section shall limit the 
22 disclosure to the records that are considered necessary by the discloser for evaluation 
23 of the technician's, paramedic's, or physician's performance in providing the 
24 emergency medical care or assistance. An emergency medical care technician, mobile 
25 intensive care paramedic, physician, or veterinarian to whom confidential records are 
26 disclosed under this section may not further disclose the information to a person not 
27 entitled to receive that information under this section or another law. 
28 * Sec. 8. AS 18.08 is amended by adding a new section to read: 
29 Sec. 18.08.093. Emergency medical services for operational canines. (a) An 
30 emergency medical technician or mobile intensive care paramedic may provide 
31 emergency medical services to an operational canine if the emergency medical

01 technician or mobile intensive care paramedic 
02 (1) reasonably determines that there is an immediate danger of serious 
03 harm to or death of the operational canine and that a veterinarian is unavailable to 
04 provide emergency medical services to the operational canine soon enough to address 
05 the danger; 
06 (2) is authorized to provide the emergency medical services to an 
07 operational canine under AS 18.08.082(a)(6); and 
08 (3) meets at least one of the following requirements: 
09 (A) the emergency medical technician or mobile intensive care 
10 paramedic has obtained informed consent from the owner of the operational 
11 canine or a person authorized to make medical decisions about the operational 
12 canine; 
13 (B) the emergency medical technician or mobile intensive care 
14 paramedic is employed by the governmental agency that owns or has authority 
15 to make medical decisions about the operational canine; or 
16 (C) the emergency medical technician or mobile intensive care 
17 paramedic provides the emergency medical service in accordance with a 
18 written protocol developed and approved by a veterinarian. 
19 (b) An emergency medical technician or mobile intensive care paramedic who 
20 provides an emergency medical service to an operational canine under (a) of this 
21 section shall transfer the operational canine to a licensed veterinarian at the earliest 
22 practicable opportunity. 
23 (c) An emergency medical technician or mobile intensive care paramedic may 
24 not provide emergency medical services to an operational canine under (a) of this 
25 section if a person requires emergency medical services from the emergency medical 
26 technician or mobile intensive care paramedic. 
27 * Sec. 9. AS 18.08.200 is amended by adding new paragraphs to read: 
28 (15) "operational canine" means a dog used 
29 (A) by law enforcement or other government agencies; or 
30 (B) in search and rescue operations; 
31 (16) "veterinarian" means a veterinarian licensed under AS 08.98.

01 * Sec. 10. This Act takes effect January 1, 2026.