H975 - Emergency Medical Services Personnel Provisions. (SL 2025-42)
Session Year 2025
Overview: S.L. 2025-42 (House Bill 975) directs the North Carolina Office of Emergency Medical Services (Office) and the Medical Care Commission (Commission) to adopt rules that permit emergency medical services (EMS) personnel to carry pepper spray. It also allows EMS personnel to transport or render aid to an injured police K‑9 unit or search and rescue dog without being licensed by the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Board (Board). EMS personnel who provide such assistance in good faith are not subject to prosecution.
The Part of this act pertaining to the adoption of rules by the Office and the Commission for the carrying of pepper spray by EMS personnel became effective on July 1, 2025. The Part of this act that allows EMS personnel to transport and render aid to injured dogs without a license from the Board became effective July 30, 2025, and applies to acts on or after that date. The Part of this act that immunizes EMS personnel from prosecution for transporting and rendering aid to injured dogs became effective July 30, 2025, and applies to acts on or after that date.