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Committee advances bill declaring emergency ambulance services essential and directing counties to identify unserved areas
Summary
Lawmakers advanced a bill that would require counties to identify unserved areas and provide emergency ambulance transport either by county service, contract with providers, or interlocal agreements; supporters said the measure aims to reduce EMS deserts while stakeholders urged a clear fiscal framework for rural counties.
A House committee on Monday advanced legislation that would designate emergency medical services, including ambulance transport, as an essential service and require counties to identify unserved areas and provide transport services through one of three options: establish a county emergency ambulance service, contract with public/private/nonprofit providers, or enter interlocal cooperation agreements.
Representative Tim O’Brien, the bill’s sponsor, said the measure would put EMS on the same footing as police and fire, require counties to map unserved areas and give local officials options to ensure emergency transport. “On your worst day, if you dial 911, somebody should be there to respond,” O’Brien told the committee, urging support for the bill as “a step forward” informed by a…
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