S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1612
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 10, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of A. ROSENTHAL, WEPRIN -- read once and referred to
   the Committee on Higher Education
 
 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  NINETEEN  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 NINETEEN 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.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04431-01-5
 A. 1612                             2
 
              

   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 3019 to
 read as follows:
   § 3019. 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 NINETEEN 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  NINETEEN  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  NINETEEN  OF  THE  PUBLIC
 HEALTH LAW.
   §  6. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a
 law.