Section 31-11-51. Certification and recertification of emergency medical technicians; rules and regulations; use of conviction data in licensing decisions

   (a) As used in this Code section, the term "conviction data" means a record of a finding or verdict of guilty or plea of guilty or plea of nolo contendere with regard to any crime, regardless of whether an appeal of the conviction has been sought.

(b) The board shall, by regulation, authorize the department to establish procedures and standards for the licensing of emergency medical services personnel. The department shall succeed to all rules and regulations, policies, procedures, and administrative orders of the composite board which were in effect on December 31, 2001, and which relate to the functions transferred to the department by this chapter. Such rules, regulations, policies, procedures, and administrative orders shall remain in effect until amended, repealed, superseded, or nullified by proper authority or as otherwise provided by law.

(c) In reviewing applicants for initial licensure of emergency medical services personnel, the department shall be authorized pursuant to this Code section to obtain conviction data with respect to such applicants for the purposes of determining the suitability of the applicant for licensure.

(d) The department shall by rule or regulation, consistent with the requirements of this subsection, establish a procedure for requesting a fingerprint based criminal history records check from the center and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Fingerprints shall be in such form and of such quality as prescribed by the center and under standards adopted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Fees may be charged as necessary to cover the cost of the records search. An applicant may request that a criminal history records check be conducted by a state or local law enforcement agency or by a private vendor approved by the department. Fees for criminal history records checks shall be paid by the applicant to the entity processing the request at the time such request is made. The state or local law enforcement agency or private vendor shall remit payment to the center in such amount as required by the center for conducting a criminal history records check. The department shall accept a criminal history records check whether such request is made through a state or local law enforcement agency or through a private vendor approved by the department. Upon receipt of an authorized request, the center shall promptly cause such criminal records search to be conducted. The center shall notify the department in writing of any finding of disqualifying information, including, but not limited to, any conviction data regarding the fingerprint records check, or if there is no such finding.

(e) Conviction data received by the department or a state or local law enforcement agency shall be privileged and shall not be a public record or disclosed to any person. Conviction data shall be maintained by the department and the state or local law enforcement pursuant to laws regarding such records and the rules and regulations of the center and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Penalties for the unauthorized release or disclosure of conviction data shall be as prescribed by law or rule or regulation of the center or Federal Bureau of Investigation.

(f) The center, the department, or any law enforcement agency, or the employees of any such entities, shall neither be responsible for the accuracy of information provided pursuant to this Code section nor be liable for defamation, invasion of privacy, negligence, or any other claim relating to or arising from the dissemination of information pursuant to this Code section.

Code 1933, § 88-3112.1, enacted by Ga. L. 1977, p. 281, § 2; Ga. L. 2001, p. 1145, § 2; Ga. L. 2011, p. 539, § 2/SB 76; Ga. L. 2012, p. 83, § 4/HB 247; Ga. L. 2013, p. 141, § 31/HB 79.