S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8837
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               July 21, 2020
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sen. SEPULVEDA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN ACT to amend the public health law and the education law, in relation
   to  authorizing  emergency  medical service personnel to provide basic
   first aid to cats and dogs under certain circumstances
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. Section 3013 of the public health law is amended by adding
 three new subdivisions 7, 8 and 9 to read as follows:
   7. NO CERTIFIED FIRST  RESPONDER,  EMERGENCY  MEDICAL  TECHNICIAN,  OR
 ADVANCED  EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN ACTING IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION
 THREE THOUSAND EIGHTEEN OF THIS ARTICLE, NOR ANY  AMBULANCE  SERVICE  OR
 ADVANCED  LIFE  SUPPORT FIRST RESPONSE SERVICE OF WHICH SUCH PERSON IS A
 MEMBER OR EMPLOYEE, WHO, IN THE COURSE OF RESPONDING  TO  AN  EMERGENCY,
 RENDERS  BASIC FIRST AID TO A DOG OR CAT PURSUANT TO SUCH SECTION, SHALL
 HAVE ANY CIVIL LIABILITY OR HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR VIOLATING ARTICLE ONE
 HUNDRED THIRTY-FIVE OF THE EDUCATION LAW,  FOR  THE  PROVISION  OF  SUCH
 CARE,  OR  ANY  DAMAGES  TO  OR  DEATH OF ANY DOG OR CAT ALLEGED TO HAVE
 OCCURRED BY REASON OF AN ACT OR OMISSION WHERE SUCH PERSON ACTED REASON-
 ABLY AND IN GOOD FAITH IN RENDERING SUCH MEDICAL ASSISTANCE IN AN  EMER-
 GENCY.
   8.  NOTWITHSTANDING ANY PROVISION OF LAW TO THE CONTRARY, ANY LICENSED
 VETERINARIAN WHO PROVIDES  OFF-SITE  INSTRUCTION,  PURSUANT  TO  SECTION
 THREE  THOUSAND EIGHTEEN OF THIS ARTICLE, TO ANY CERTIFIED FIRST RESPON-
 DER, EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN OR ADVANCED EMERGENCY MEDICAL  TECHNI-
 CIAN  PROVIDING  BASIC FIRST AID TO A DOG OR CAT SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR
 DAMAGES FOR INJURIES OR DEATH ALLEGED TO HAVE BEEN SUSTAINED BY ANY  DOG
 OR  CAT  AS  A  RESULT OF SUCH INSTRUCTION WHERE SUCH VETERINARIAN ACTED
 REASONABLY AND IN GOOD FAITH IN PROVIDING SUCH INSTRUCTION.
   9. THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION  SHALL  PROMULGATE  RULES  AND  REGU-
 LATIONS  FOR  THE PROVISION OF BASIC FIRST AID TO DOGS AND CATS BY EMER-
 GENCY MEDICAL CARE PERSONNEL PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
   § 2. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 3018  to
 read as follows:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11577-04-0

 S. 8837                             2
 
   § 3018. BASIC FIRST AID TO DOGS AND CATS. 1. IN THE COURSE OF RESPOND-
 ING  TO  ANY  EMERGENCY,  A CERTIFIED FIRST RESPONDER, EMERGENCY MEDICAL
 TECHNICIAN OR ADVANCED EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN MAY,  IN  ACCORDANCE
 WITH THE RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION, PROVIDE
 BASIC  FIRST AID TO A DOG OR CAT PRIOR TO THE TRANSFER OF SUCH ANIMAL TO
 THE CARE OF A LICENSED VETERINARIAN, PROVIDED HOWEVER, THAT THERE ARE NO
 PERSONS REQUIRING MEDICAL ATTENTION OR TRANSPORTATION AT SUCH TIME.  THE
 BASIC FIRST AID PROVIDED TO CATS AND DOGS PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL
 BE LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING, IF THE CERTIFIED FIRST RESPONDER, EMERGENCY
 MEDICAL  TECHNICIAN OR ADVANCED EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN IS ABLE AND
 AUTHORIZED TO PROVIDE SUCH CARE TO A HUMAN:
   (A) OPENING AND MANUALLY MAINTAINING AN AIRWAY;
   (B) PROVIDING MOUTH TO MOUTH OR MOUTH TO BARRIER VENTILATION;
   (C) ADMINISTERING OXYGEN;
   (D) MANAGING VENTILATION BY MASK;
   (E) CONTROLLING HEMORRHAGE WITH DIRECT PRESSURE;
   (F) IMMOBILIZING FRACTURES;
   (G) BANDAGING; AND
   (H) ADMINISTERING NALOXONE HYDROCHLORIDE TO THE EXTENT  AUTHORIZED  BY
 LAW, RULE OR REGULATION AND AS DIRECTED BY A LICENSED VETERINARIAN.
   2. TO THE EXTENT PRACTICABLE, EACH CERTIFIED FIRST RESPONDER, EMERGEN-
 CY  MEDICAL  TECHNICIAN OR ADVANCED EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN, DURING
 THE COURSE OF PROVIDING BASIC FIRST AID TO A DOG OR CAT PURSUANT TO THIS
 SECTION, SHALL COMMUNICATE WITH A LICENSED VETERINARIAN FOR THE  PURPOSE
 OF CONSULTING UPON THE PROVISION OF SUCH CARE.
   3. THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION SHALL PROMULGATE SUCH RULES AND REGU-
 LATIONS  AS  SHALL  BE  NECESSARY  TO  IMPLEMENT  THE PROVISIONS OF THIS
 SECTION.
   § 3. Section 6702 of the education law is  amended  by  adding  a  new
 subdivision 3 to read as follows:
   3.  LICENSED  VETERINARIANS  MAY  PROVIDE INSTRUCTION TO ANY CERTIFIED
 FIRST RESPONDER, EMERGENCY  MEDICAL  TECHNICIAN  OR  ADVANCED  EMERGENCY
 MEDICAL TECHNICIAN PROVIDING BASIC FIRST AID TO A DOG OR CAT PURSUANT TO
 SECTION THREE THOUSAND EIGHTEEN OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH LAW.
   §  4.  The  opening  paragraph of section 6703 of the education law is
 designated subdivision 1 and a new subdivision 2 is  added  to  read  as
 follows:
   2.  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL  PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR THE
 PROVISION OF BASIC FIRST AID TO DOGS AND CATS BY EMERGENCY MEDICAL  CARE
 PERSONNEL  PURSUANT  TO  SECTION  THREE  THOUSAND EIGHTEEN OF THE PUBLIC
 HEALTH LAW.
   § 5. Section 6705 of the education law is  amended  by  adding  a  new
 subdivision 16 to read as follows:
   16.  A  CERTIFIED  FIRST  RESPONDER,  EMERGENCY  MEDICAL TECHNICIAN OR
 ADVANCED EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN PROVIDING BASIC FIRST AID  TO  THE
 EXTENT  AUTHORIZED  BY  SECTION  THREE  THOUSAND  EIGHTEEN OF THE PUBLIC
 HEALTH LAW.
   § 6. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become  a
 law.