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Committee advances bill requiring counties to identify and cover EMS gaps
Summary
House Bill 12‑51 would declare EMS an essential service and require counties to identify unserved areas and ensure ambulance coverage by county service, contract, or interlocal agreement; the committee approved the bill 23–0 after adopting an opt‑out amendment.
President Brandon presented House Bill 12‑51, which declares emergency medical services (including ambulance services) essential and requires counties to identify unserved areas and ensure coverage through county ambulance services, contracts with public/private/nonprofit providers, or interlocal agreements. Brandon said the bill is the product of statewide EMS data collection and stakeholder roundtables and emphasized flexibility so counties may choose approaches that fit local circumstances.
Amendment 1 adds an opt‑out provision to accommodate counties that cannot meet the requirement without spending local tax dollars. Committee members raised concerns about coordination, hospital systems withdrawing ambulance fleets, and rural capacity; Representative Prescott described hospital contractors pulling ambulances out of counties where the service was no longer profitable. After discussion the committee took the amendment by consent, moved to pass as amended and recorded a roll call; the chair announced the bill passed out of committee 23–0.
