Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Colleen Chawla, Chief, San Mateo County Health
Travis Kusman, Director, Emergency Medical Services
Subject: Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the San Mateo County Emergency Medical Services Agency to Access State Summary Criminal History Information for Volunteers
RECOMMENDATION:
title
Adopt a resolution authorizing the San Mateo County Emergency Medical Services Agency to access state summary criminal history information for volunteers.
body
BACKGROUND:
Penal Code Sections 11105(b)(11) and 13300(b)(11) authorize counties to access state and local summary criminal history information for employment, licensing, or certification purposes, based on exclusion or qualification criteria tied to specific criminal conduct.
The Emergency Medical Services Agency (EMS Agency) has long maintained this access for Emergency Medical Technician-I certification and oversight, as authorized by the Board in 2010, but does not currently have corresponding authority for volunteers.
On June 9, 2026, the Board adopted a resolution intended to extend criminal history access to volunteers at both the state and federal levels. The California Department of Justice subsequently advised that new applications for federal-level criminal history access for volunteer populations have been placed on hold indefinitely and directed the County to proceed separately with state-level authorization. This resolution returns to the Board consistent with that guidance and is limited to state-level criminal history access for volunteers.
DISCUSSION:
The San Mateo County Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a County-coordinated network of trained medical and non-medical volunteers who augment local response capacity during public health emergencies, disasters, and large-scale events. Volunteers may include physicians, nurses, Emergency Medical Technicians, behavioral health professionals, and o...
Click here for full text