A proposed law being voted on in the Texas State Senate will make it illiegal (Class C misdemeanor) for someone to calibrating, repairing, or performing preventative maintenance on or otherwise servicing a device designated by the United States Food and Drug Administration as a class II or class III medical device, unless certified.
Certification is defined as:
1) holds at least an associate of applied science degree issued by an accredited college or university in engineering or as a biomedical equipment technician or medical imaging specialist, or holds a similar degree focused on the service, maintenance, or service and maintenance of medical devices;
(2) holds satisfactory evidence of completion of a program of service, maintenance, or service and maintenance of medical devices issued by the United States military;
(3) holds at least an associate degree in an electronics field or an information management field and has been actively engaged in the service, maintenance, or service and maintenance of medical devices for at least two of the preceding four years under the direct supervision of an individual who meets the requirements of Subdivision (1) or (2); or
(4) holds satisfactory evidence of successful completion of service, maintenance, or service and maintenance training from a medical device manufacturer, provided the person only provides service or maintenance for devices made by that manufacturer unless the person otherwise meets the requirements of Subdivision (1), (2), or (3).
Additionally,
(c) Provides that Subsection (b) does not apply to the calibration, repair, maintenance, or service of a class II or class III medical device that is used only for teaching and research purposes; in-service or software upgrades of a medical device performed by an employee or authorized sales representative of a medical device manufacturer; or routine evaluations specified by the medical device manufacturer performed by the owner or person designated by the owner of the medical device.
(d) Provides that a person commits an offense if the person violates Subsection (b) and that an offense under this subsection is a Class C misdemeanor.
I think this is great for the field. Not only will it help give us as a profession a better and more professional standing but it will also help justify a higher salary for us. Not to mention, that a law like this will help keep the riffraff out of the field.
What do you think?
Thank makes me sleep well at night, knowing the guy that just fixed our local hospitals equipment could have easily been an HVAC technician before this job…..what? This law needs to be passed everywhere, I didn’t realize that my local air conditioner technician could freelance on the side fixing hospital equipment. It’s scary to even think about it.
Leslie