SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation today that requires California’s 70,000 emergency medical technicians to undergo mandatory criminal background checks.
In 2007, he vetoed a similar bill after expressing disapproval about last-minute changes that would have kept secret some details about rescuer misconduct.
This time, Schwarzenegger signed an Assembly bill that will modernize a patchwork licensing and certification system in California’s emergency medical services world. Extensive problems with the system were exposed in a 2007 Bee investigation.