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Committee combines emergency responder recruitment, retention work with ambulance-billing and grant studies
Summary
The committee consolidated several related proposals — recruitment and retention of emergency responders, ambulance billing reimbursement and emergency services grant funding — into a combined interim study scope after legislators said the issues are closely related in rural communities.
Legislators combined multiple proposed studies on emergency response into a single, broader study to examine workforce shortages, billing and grant structures for emergency services.
Representative Wise and others described three closely related topics: emergency responder recruitment and retention (House Bill 13-11), ambulance provider delinquent billing reimbursement (House Bill 13-22) and grant funding for emergency services (related proposals). Members said the issues overlap in rural areas where volunteer services face resource and workforce constraints. Representative Bosch and Senator Klein discussed consolidating ambulance-billing parameters into a broader, holistic study on emergency services.
The committee approved motions to fold ambulance-billing review into a larger emergency responder/reimbursement study and to adopt the combined study. Legislative Council staff confirmed the combined study will act like a regular interim committee, with staff support, meeting notices and livestreaming.
