COLUMBUS — State Rep. Brian Baldridge announced on Wednesday that the Ohio House of Representatives passed House Bill 138, which corrects a technical error to allow EMS personnel to comply with a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order issued by a physician assistant (PA) or advanced practice registered nurse (APRN).

“This is common sense and forward-thinking legislation,” Baldridge said. “By eliminating the prescribed services our EMS personnel can provide from the code and placing it into the responsibility of the State Board of Emergency Medical, Fire, and Transportation Services through the rule making process, House Bill 138 preempts a future error of this kind.”

Previous law expanded to permit PAs and APRNs to sign orders, but failed to change the corresponding code specifying EMS personnel could only comply with a DNR order issued by a physician.

H.B. 138 corrects that technical error and allows EMS personnel to comply with DNR orders from all practitioners that Ohio Code currently permits to write them.

H.B. 138 passed with a vote of 87-0 and now heads to the Senate for consideration.
Baldridge is a Republican, representing the 90th district, which covers Adams and Scioto counties, as well as a portion of Lawrence County.