ASSEMBLY, No. 4407

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

220th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED JUNE 29, 2022

 


 

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman  KEVIN J. ROONEY

District 40 (Bergen, Essex, Morris and Passaic)

 

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman McCarthy Patrick

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Requires paramedic units to stock cyanide toxicity kits; appropriates $500,000.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

  


An Act requiring paramedics to stock cyanide toxicity kits, supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes, and making an appropriation.

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    a. Within 120 days after the effective date of this act, and in accordance with the provisions of this section, each paramedic unit in the State shall be required to stock cyanide toxicity kits.

     b.    Each mobile intensive care paramedic or volunteer paramedic unit in the State shall be required to maintain, in a secure but accessible location in each mobile intensive care unit or volunteer paramedic unit, an adequate supply of unexpired cyanide toxicity kits.

     c.     Each person, volunteer or paid, who is  trained in advanced life support services and certified by the commissioner to render advanced life support before the effective date of this act, shall within 24 months of the effective date of this act, satisfactorily complete training in the emergency administration of cyanide antidote in accordance with the standardized training protocol established pursuant to subsection d. of this section.

     d.    The Commissioner of Health shall develop a standardized training protocol on emergency cyanide antidote administration, which shall be used to provide training to paramedics, paid or volunteer, throughout the State, as required by this act.

     The standardized protocol shall require training sessions on emergency cyanide antidote administration to be provided by a healthcare professional whose authorized scope of practice includes the administration of intravenous medication, and shall further require each training session to include instruction on the following topics:

     (1) the recognition and identification of the symptoms of smoke inhalation;

     (2) procedures and protocols for the proper storage and safe carrying of cyanide toxicity kits;

     (3) procedures and protocols for the safe administration of cyanide antidote;

     (4) procedure and protocols for the proper disposal of expended or expired cyanide antidote;

     (5) procedures and protocols to ensure proper aftercare of a person to whom cyanide antidote has been administered, such as protocols for admittance to a hospital; and

     (6) any other relevant topic the commissioner deems to be appropriate.

 

     2.    The Commissioner of Health shall adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as may be necessary to implement the provisions of this act.

 

     3.    There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Office of Emergency Medical Services within the Department of Health $500,000 for the reimbursement of reasonable and necessary expenses incurred for the purchase of cyanide toxicity kits pursuant to the provisions of this act.

 

     4.    This act shall take effect on the first day of the fourth month after the date of enactment, except that the Commissioner of Health may take any anticipatory administrative action in advance thereof as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     This bill would require paramedic units in the State to maintain a stock of cyanide toxicity kits.

     Under this bill, paramedic units, volunteer or paid,  within the State would be required to stock cyanide toxicity kits.  In addition, each paramedic certified by the Commissioner of Health would be required to complete training in the emergency administration of cyanide antidote. 

     The commissioner would be required to develop a standardized training protocol for the emergency administration of cyanide antidote.  The training will be administered by a qualified healthcare professional whose authorized practice includes the administration of intravenous (IV) medication.  The training will include instruction on:

     (1) the recognition and identification of the symptoms of smoke inhalation;

     (2) procedures and protocols for the proper storage and safe carrying of cyanide toxicity kits;

     (3) procedures and protocols for the safe administration of cyanide antidote;

     (4) procedure and protocols for the proper disposal of expended or expired cyanide antidote;

     (5) procedures and protocols to ensure proper aftercare of a person to whom cyanide antidote has been administered, such as protocols for admittance to a hospital; and

     (6) any other relevant topic the commissioner deems to be appropriate.