CRITICAL INCIDENT STRESS MGMT. H.B. 4862 (H-1):
SUMMARY OF HOUSE-PASSED BILL
IN COMMITTEE
House Bill 4862 (Substitute H-1 as passed by the House)
Sponsor: Representative Douglas Wozniak
House Committee: Health Policy
Ways and Means
Senate Committee: Health Policy and Human Services
CONTENT
The bill would amend Part 209A (Critical Incident Stress Management Services) of the Public Health Code to do the following:
-- Modify the definitions for "critical incident stress management services" ("CISM services") and "critical incident stress".
-- Expand the definition of "emergency service provider" to include individuals employed by or under contract with a health facility or agency, and licensed health professionals.
The bill would take effect 90 days after enactment.
Under the Code, critical incident stress management services are provided to eligible emergency service providers who are affected by a critical incident and are designed to assist a provider with coping with critical incident stress or mitigating reactions to critical incident stress. "CISM services" is defined as services provided by a critical incident stress management team or a critical incident stress management team member to an emergency service provider affected by a critical incident. Under the bill, the term would mean services provided by a critical incident stress management team or critical incident stress management team member to an emergency service provider affected by a critical incident or a series of critical incidents that are designed to assist the emergency service provider in coping with critical incident stress or to mitigate reactions to critical incident stress.
"Critical incident stress" means the acute or cumulative psychological stress or trauma that an emergency service provider may experience in providing an emergency service in response to a critical incident. The stress or trauma is an unusually strong emotional, cognitive, behavioral, or physical reaction that may interfere with normal functioning, including one or more of the following:
-- Physical and emotional illness.
-- Failure of usual coping mechanisms.
-- Loss of interest in the job or normal life activities.
-- Personality changes.
-- Loss of ability to function.
-- Psychological disruption of personal life, including relationship with a spouse, child, or friend.
Under the bill, "critical incident stress" would mean stress or trauma that an emergency service provider may experience in providing an emergency service in response to a critical incident or a series of critical incidents. The bill would delete the language pertaining to stress or trauma in this definition and would create a new definition for "stress or trauma".
"Stress or trauma" would mean an emotional, cognitive, behavioral, or physical reaction that may interfere with normal functioning, including one or more of the following:
-- Physical and emotional illness.
-- Failure of usual coping mechanisms.
-- Loss of interest in the job or normal life activities.
-- Personality changes.
-- Loss of ability to function.
-- Psychological disruption of personal life, including a relationship with a spouse, child, or friend.
Part 209A defines "emergency service provider" as an individual who provides emergency response services, including a law enforcement officer, corrections officer, firefighter, emergency medical services provider, dispatcher, emergency response communication employee, or rescue services provider. The bill would include within the definition an individual who is employed by or under contract with a health facility or agency, or a health professional licensed under Article 15 (Occupations).
The bill also specifies that Article 1 (Preliminary Provisions) contains general definitions and principles of construction applicable to all articles in the Code, and Part 201 (General Provisions) contains definitions applicable to Part 209A.
MCL 333.20981 Legislative Analyst: Dana Adams
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.
Fiscal Analyst: Elizabeth Raczkowski
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.