Senate committee adds 'ambulance service providers' to essential-services list and moves bill forward

Senate Bill 133, which would explicitly add “ambulance service providers” to the state list of essential services, advanced out of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee after a brief hearing and a voice vote.

Senator Tim McHugh, the bill’s sponsor, told the committee the change is meant to close a drafting gap in existing law that lists only “first responders,” a term he said can be vague depending on local response models. “In some systems the ambulance folks are the first to show up,” McHugh said, adding the change is intended as a targeted clarification to ensure ambulance providers are recognized in emergency planning and mutual-aid arrangements.

The committee heard brief supporting remarks from Keith Wilding, a paramedic and director of the New Hampshire Technical Institute paramedic program, who said the current statute’s reliance on the term “first responders” leaves private and non-fire-based ambulance services in a gray area. Wilding said the clarification would help when federal or state agencies evaluate whether a jurisdiction’s statute identifies which services must be preserved after a disaster or emergency.

No public testimony opposed the bill at the hearing. Following the discussion, a committee member moved that the measure “ought to pass.” The motion received a second and the committee advanced SB 133 by voice vote.

The committee comment and the sponsor’s testimony framed the measure as a technical but important drafting correction to avoid ambiguity during large-scale incidents or emergency reimbursements. The bill will proceed in the legislative process with the committee’s recommendation.

Ending: The committee recorded no divided roll-call vote on the measure; record shows the measure advanced by voice vote and was placed on the committee’s consent calendar for further floor consideration.