SAN DIEGO -- On Tuesday, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors will vote on a new law that would make it difficult for convicted felons to become emergency medical technicians, or EMTs.

At the heart of the new law is 2-year-old Hailey Williams of Idaho, a toddler who had Down syndrome. She died when her mother's fiancée, Jesse Thrush, violently shook and threw her.

Thrush was an Idaho Sheriff's deputy at the time and pleaded guilty to felony manslaughter in Idaho. He was paroled after nine months in custody, and then moved to Escondido and started a new life as an EMT.

Dr. Bruce Haynes, medical director of the county's Emergency Medical Services, knew about the felony but had the authority to certify Thrush as an EMT anyway.

"That's my decision … he's fully qualified to be an EMT in San Diego," said Haynes.

The decision and amount of legal discretion troubled California Assembly Majority Leader Alberto Torrico.

"They're dealing with kids, they're dealing with seniors, they're dealing with people in severe crisis," said Torrico.

After a 10News I-Team report, Torrico got a state bill passed that forces counties to screen all EMT candidates through the FBI's criminal database. The bill also allows the state to create uniform guidelines dictating which past crimes are OK for EMTs and which are not.

"I honestly think this will be an improvement," said San Diego County Supervisor Ron Roberts.

Roberts supports the new state law, which the county board must vote to implement.

The resolution expected to be passed easily Tuesday by the county board will simply bring the county law in line with the new state law which goes into affect on July 1.

Previously, the county was only checking criminal records through the state database. Roberts said uniform guidelines and less discretion make sense.

"Let's have some real standards. If you did this, this and this, don't apply," said Roberts.

The guidelines, being drafted now, will not likely exclude all felons but will probably bar those convicted of ending a life from being placed in the role of lifesaver.

Thrush is still certified and working as an EMT in San Diego County. His current wife -- who is not the toddler's mother -- told the I-Team that Thursh did his time and is dedicated to doing good things now.