A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT requiring the north carolina medical care commission to adopt rules establishing standardized HOSPITAL EMERGENCY CODES and standardized responses to each of these emergency codes, and requiring hospitals to implement them.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Article 5 of Chapter 131E of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new Part to read:
"Part 3A. Hospital Emergency Codes.
"§ 131E‑88. Commission to adopt rules establishing standardized emergency codes to be implemented in hospitals.
(a)	The Commission shall adopt rules to establish standardized hospital emergency codes and standardized responses to these codes, which shall be used in communications with hospital employees, other hospitals, emergency medical services personnel as defined in G.S. 131E‑155, and other external emergency responders. The standardized codes and responses shall address at least all of the following emergency situations:
(1)	Fire.
(2)	Bomb threat.
(3)	A threat caused by nuclear, biological, or chemical agents.
(4)	Active shooter.
(5)	Threat by a person with a weapon or a hostage situation.
(6)	Combative person.
(7)	Infant or child abduction.
(8)	Severe weather.
(9)	Internal disaster.
(10)	External disaster.
(11)	Cardiac arrest or other medical emergency for an adult.
(12)	Cardiac arrest or other medical emergency for an infant or child.
(b)	Each hospital licensed under this Article shall implement the standardized hospital emergency codes and standardized responses to these codes established by the Commission pursuant to subsection (a) of this section."
SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective January 1, 2014.