Committee members heard two state‑level proposals that, if enacted, could change how local EMS services are funded.

A state representative's staffer and legislative contacts (Speaker 11 in the transcript) described Bill 197 as authorizing a regional district model — defined in the discussion as either eight or more municipalities or at least 232 square miles — that would permit participating communities to go outside normal levy limits (using a CPI+2% adjustment) and would use district‑wide referenda every five years. The staffer said passage would also open access to a state innovation fund referenced in the meeting.

The same legislative staff described a balanced‑billing bill under consideration that would require private insurers to reimburse ambulance services at a multiple of Medicare/Medicaid rates (reported in the meeting as 350% of Medicare/Medicaid) and would change payment flows so insurers remit funds that ensure ambulance providers receive the money due, reducing surprise balance bills to patients. As the staffer summarized, the bill is intended "to help ensure that the ambulance companies are getting their money." The staff said the balanced‑billing bill had recent committee movement and they were cautiously optimistic about passage.

Alan DeYoung, representing the EMS Association, also flagged a separate payer change: an increase in Medicaid 'treat‑no‑transport' reimbursement (from $69 to $175) scheduled to take effect in 2027, which he said could modestly raise county reimbursements.

What happens next: committee members were advised to track the bills; if enacted, they could expand local funding tools for district levies and reduce write‑offs tied to private‑insurance reimbursements.