After emotional testimony, committee requires air ambulances to contact trauma system; language changed to 'recommendation' and bill passes

Senate Bill 603, introduced by Senator Clark Tucker with testimony from Andy Davis, would require air-ambulance providers to contact the state trauma system for recommended destinations when transporting trauma patients. The bill was amended to clarify the trauma system’s guidance is a recommendation rather than a mandatory direction to pilots, and the committee added a House sponsor before approving the bill.

Davis recounted a family emergency in which a critically injured child was initially flown to a hospital that later transferred the child to a surgery-capable center; family members said they believed the patient would be transported to Little Rock but were told en route the air-ambulance was taking the patient to Tulsa. Davis said trauma-system coordination was not used and urged statutory clarification to prevent similar delays in getting patients to definitive care.

Senators raised operational concerns for aircrews. Senator Payton noted the pilot has ultimate authority based on weather, fuel, and safety, and suggested the bill should not remove the pilot’s discretion for in-flight decisionmaking. The committee responded by amending the bill to replace the word “direction” with “recommendation,” so the trauma system would recommend a best destination but would not override flight-safety decisions.

The committee also added Representative Lee Johnson as a House sponsor by verbal amendment. With the amendments adopted, the panel approved SB603 by voice vote; the clerk recorded the passage as “Ayes have it.”

Why it matters: The bill addresses coordination between air medical providers and the statewide trauma system after a constituent account raised concerns about patient routing. The adopted wording attempts to balance trauma-system clinical guidance with pilot flight-safety authority.