Kansas Health Institute | Information For Policy Makers. Health for Kansans.

TOPEKA — The Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee today approved a bill that would add Emergency Medical Service workers to the list of credentialed workers who must undergo a criminal background check when applying for certification in Kansas.

The Kansas Board of EMS requested the measure after learning of EMS attendants who lied about former felony convictions on their certification applications.

The committee approved Senate Bill 222 on a voice vote after agreeing to an amendment from Sen. Tim Owens, R-Overland Park, that would ensure background checks were done on all prospective workers.

The bill’s original language said the board “may” conduct the background checks. But Owens asked that the bill be amended so that the checks not be optional.

The change, Owens said, would protect the state from claims of discrimination, if some workers were reviewed but not others.