Pennsylvania SB 1305: An Act amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in emergency medical services system, providing for dementia care training.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 1659
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 1305
Session of
2026
INTRODUCED BY CULVER, HAYWOOD, COSTA AND VOGEL, MAY 1, 2026
REFERRED TO VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS,
MAY 1, 2026
AN ACT
Amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in emergency medical services system,
providing for dementia care training.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Title 35 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
§ 8143. Dementia care training.
(a) Training requirements.--An EMS provider shall
successfully complete an initial training and continuing
education on care for individuals with Alzheimer's disease or
other dementias as provided under this section.
(b) Duties of department.--The department shall develop a
dementia training program in cooperation with the Department of
Aging and shall include instruction on identifying and
interacting with individuals with Alzheimer's disease or other
dementias, best practices on emergency medical care for
individuals with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias and
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identifying signs of elder abuse.
(c) Initial training.--An EMS provider shall complete an
initial training during the certification process for EMS
providers. The initial training shall be for a minimum of three
hours and cover:
(1) Dementia, psychiatric and behavioral symptoms and
common medical emergencies experienced by individuals living
with dementia.
(2) Communication issues, including how to communicate
respectfully and effectively with an individual who has
dementia in order to determine the most appropriate response
and effective communication techniques to enhance
collaboration with caregivers.
(3) How to address behavioral symptoms during the
administration of emergency medical treatment.
(4) Identifying and reporting incidents of abuse,
neglect and exploitation.
(5) Protocols for contacting caregivers when an
individual with dementia is found wandering or during
emergency or crisis situations.
(6) Local caregiving resources that are available for
individuals living with dementia.
(d) Continuing education.--An EMS provider shall annually
complete one hour of continuing education on dementia covering
the subjects under subsection (c).
(e) Certification sanctions.--An EMS provider who has not
successfully completed the training required under this section
shall be subject to section 8121 (relating to certification
sanctions).
(f) Waiver of initial training.--
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(1) An EMS provider who successfully completes a form of
dementia training, as determined by the department, within 18
months prior to the effective date of this paragraph shall be
deemed to have satisfied the initial training requirement and
shall not be required to repeat the initial training under
subsection (c) as a condition of certification or
recertification.
(2) The department shall establish procedures for EMS
providers to satisfy paragraph (1), including acceptable
forms of documentation evidencing prior training completion.
(3) An EMS provider granted a waiver under this
subsection shall be required to complete continuing education
under subsection (d).
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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