Under current state law, the California Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) sets minimum standards for the training and scope of practice for emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics. AB 2130 requires that beginning July 1, 2024, EMSA must require all newly-licensed EMTs and paramedics to complete at least 20 minutes of training on issues relating to human trafficking. The bill does not require existing EMTs and paramedics to undergo this training, but it would apply to an EMT who seeks to become a licensed paramedic or an EMT-I who seeks certification as an EMT-II.
An earlier version of the bill specifically imposed the same requirement on paramedics seeking to renew their license and there are indications that dropping the requirement for training on renewals may have been a drafting error, so this bill could be the target of clean-up legislation in 2023 before it goes into effect.
(AB 2130 amends Sections 1797.170, 1797.171, and 1797.172 of the Health and Safety Code.)