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Bill to create state supplemental pay for municipal EMS deferred after testimony and audit promise
Summary
Representative Bagley’s bill to provide state supplemental pay to municipal EMS personnel was voluntarily deferred after extensive public testimony; committee members asked for an audit of current supplemental‑pay recipients to identify funding sources for a recurring $5 million request.
A proposal to provide state supplemental pay to municipal emergency medical services (EMS) personnel was voluntarily deferred by the sponsor after extended testimony from EMS providers, union representatives and local elected officials during the House Appropriations Committee hearing on May 20.
House Bill 320 (sponsor: Representative Bagley) would create a supplemental pay program for municipal EMS workers similar to existing state supplemental pay for law enforcement and firefighters. Proponents—municipal EMS chiefs and paramedics—testified the measure would help recruitment and retention, offset low billing reimbursements and recognize the hazards EMS personnel face on the job. Supporters said the program would cover only municipal EMS employees not eligible for other state supplemental pay programs and estimated that up to 700 public EMS employees across more than a dozen municipal EMS agencies could be eligible.
Committee members expressed support for EMS workers but emphasized fiscal constraints; Vice Chair Horton described a plan to request an in‑depth audit of current supplemental‑pay recipients to determine funding sources and ensure appropriate targeting. Sponsor Representative Bagley voluntarily asked to defer the bill to allow time for the requested audit and further work identifying a sustainable funding source; the committee noted the need for recurring funding and the constitutional budget constraints on new recurring appropriations.
Public testimony included personal accounts of hazardous calls, disaster responses and difficulty retaining staff; unions and municipal chiefs described low reimbursement rates from Medicaid and private insurers and argued supplemental pay would help keep public EMS services viable. Committee members pledged further consideration but signaled the need to identify recurring funding and to reconcile eligibility rules with existing supplemental pay statutes before moving forward.
