I 111th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1201 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 25, 2009 Mr. Salazar (for himself and Mr. Daniel E. Lungren of California) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure A BILL To increase the safety for crew and passengers on an aircraft providing emergency medical services.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Air Medical Safety Act.

2.

Increasing safety for crew and passengers on an aircraft providing emergency medical services

(a)

Compliance regulations

Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, a pilot of an aircraft providing emergency medical services shall comply with the regulations in part 135 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, whenever there is a medical crew on board, regardless of whether a patient is also on board. (b)

Implementation of flight risk evaluation program

Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall initiate, and complete not later than 18 months thereafter, a rulemaking— (1)to establish a standardized checklist of risk evaluation factors based on Notice 8000.301 issued by the Administration in August, 2005; and (2)to require pilots of aircraft providing emergency medical service to use the checklist to determine whether a mission should be accepted. (c)

Comprehensive consistent flight dispatch procedures

Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall initiate, and complete not later than 18 months thereafter, a collaborative effort with the air medical community— (1)to establish performance-based flight dispatch procedures for pilots of aircraft providing emergency medical services; and (2)to develop a method to measure compliance with those procedures. (d)

Improving the data available to NTSB investigators at crash sites

(1)

Study

Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall complete a feasibility study of requiring flight data and cockpit voice recorders on new and existing aircraft providing emergency medical service operations. The study shall address, at a minimum, issues related to survivability, weight, and financial considerations of such a requirement. (2)

Rulemaking

Not later than 30 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall complete a rulemaking to require flight data and cockpit voice recorders on board aircraft providing emergency medical service operations.