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Senate finance panel hears hours of testimony on bill to create rural ambulance grant program
Summary
Senate Bill 13 77, presented by Sen. Charles Perry, would create a Comptroller‑administered grant program to help rural counties buy ambulances and equipment; committee heard extensive rural EMS testimony and a committee substitute added eligibility, equipment flexibility and a two‑year sunset, then left the bill pending.
Senate Bill 13 77, filed by Sen. Charles Perry, would establish a Comptroller‑administered grant program to help rural counties acquire ambulances and certain equipment, presenters told the Senate Committee on Finance.
The bill, as laid out by Perry, provides competing funding tiers based on county population: counties with fewer than 10,000 people would be eligible for up to $5,000, and counties with larger rural populations would be eligible for larger awards (the committee substitute described larger awards up to $350,000 for certain counties). The committee substitute limited eligibility to public providers, prioritized funding based on local provider capacity, allowed counties under 10,000 to use funds for ambulance equipment, and set a sunset date of Aug. 30, 2027.
Why it matters: Rural emergency medical services (EMS) witnesses said rising vehicle and equipment costs and stagnant reimbursement rates have strained budgets and left many…
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