AB-2041 Emergency medical services
Sep 20, 2026 edition · GC-2026-0072 · Published 2026-09-20 · Version 2 · Final
AB 2041 adds a January 2027 status report for emergency-call agencies that miss the existing readiness milestone.
What happened
AB 2041 became Chapter 285 on September 18. It adds a compliance-status report for public safety agencies processing 911 calls for emergency medical response that are not providing required prearrival medical instructions by January 1, 2027. Those agencies must report to their local EMS agency by January 31. The January 31 report is a conditional reporting requirement, not an extension of the January 1 readiness date. The enacted section retains the minimum topics, including choking, CPR/AED, childbirth, bleeding, epinephrine and naloxone instructions.
An agency can satisfy the instruction requirement by contracting with another public safety agency, and the local EMS medical director must approve the instructions. Agencies already providing approved instructions need not update policies solely to meet the section. Dispatching peace officers to an emergency does not itself constitute emergency-medical call processing under this rule, even if officers provide first aid. Ordinary commencement is January 1, 2027; agencies should distinguish the enacted reporting addition from existing readiness work and the statutory contracting and scope exceptions.
Scope and timing
- Authority status
- Final
- Applicability
- Potentially applicable
- Audience
- Health systems, Provider networks
- Jurisdiction
- California
Why it matters
Emergency dispatch owners need to plan for two different January milestones and know whether their call-processing function is within the statute.
Recommended action
Assess readiness with the local EMS agency, preserve medical-director approval and any qualifying service arrangement, and prepare the January 31 status report if the agency is not compliant by January 1.
Sources
- AB-2041 Emergency medical services, bill historyOfficial · California Legislature · 2026-09-03 · Source review 2026-09-20
- AB-2041 Emergency medical services, chaptered bill text (09/18/26 - Chaptered)Official · California Legislature · 2026-09-21 · Source review 2026-10-15
- Official retained source documentOfficial · Official issuing agency · Source review 2026-10-16
- Official retained source documentOfficial · Official issuing agency · Source review 2026-10-16
- Official retained source documentOfficial · Official issuing agency · Source review 2026-10-16
Complete edition and supplemental material
This finding in the complete approved report →Regulatory horizons, CIA trends and implementation trackers remain in the full report.
Read the entire Compliance Sweep report →