Legislative Management on May 20 folded three related studies on emergency response into a single interim study to examine recruitment and retention, ambulance billing and broader grant funding for emergency services.

Lawmakers combined the proposed study on emergency responder recruitment and retention (House Bill 13‑11) with a study on ambulance service provider delinquent billing reimbursement grants (sponsored proposals including HB 13‑22) and a broader proposal on grant funding for emergency services (Senate proposals including 02/2332), directing staff to treat them under one umbrella for interim work.

Representative Wise, who discussed ambulance billing during the meeting, said small and rural ambulance services increasingly rely on third‑party billing vendors and that many rural providers lack in‑house expertise. "It's difficult sometimes to get the proper reimbursement," Representative Wise said, noting the complexity of Medicaid and third‑party billing for small providers. Senator Beckettall added that rural ambulance services often pay outside vendors significant sums to manage billing and that any study should look at how to help those providers access reimbursement.

The panel debated whether studying recruitment would produce new insight or simply restate known problems; several members said recruitment and workforce shortages are well known but that a structured interim study could identify policy levers, funding gaps and options for consolidation. Senator Klein and others favored including recruitment and retention because the combined study would allow a holistic look at workforce, funding and billing systems rather than separate, siloed reviews.

After motions and discussion — including a motion to decline study of one bill while moving its billing components into the larger investigation — the committee approved the consolidated study by voice vote. The chair instructed legislative council staff to prepare a single scope document that includes: workforce recruitment/retention barriers, ambulance billing/reimbursement challenges (including third‑party vendors, Medicaid billing and delinquent bills), grant programs and statewide funding priorities, and potential policy and funding options for rural and volunteer emergency services.

No appropriation or policy changes were made at the meeting; the vote authorized the interim study and directed staff to draft the committee scope.