The proposed bill would update current statutes regarding ambulance services by allowing the Director to establish additional ambulance rate categories based on current standards of care and enabling existing certificate of necessity (CON) holders to add new rates without altering their existing rate structures. It would also clarify the designation of primary and secondary ambulance providers within overlapping service areas and mandate less stringent response time requirements for secondary providers. Additionally, the bill would reduce the timeframe for interested parties to submit information regarding CON applications from 60 to 30 days and toll the decision-making period for DHS during this response window. Furthermore, the bill introduces a temporary certificate of necessity provision for holders who apply for renewal before their current certificate expires and specifies that service contracts with political subdivisions must be approved by the department, regardless of whether the subdivision holds a CON. It also requires at least one ambulance attendant qualified to administer advanced life support on each ambulance and adjusts the criteria considered during response time compliance reviews. Overall, these changes aim to streamline the regulatory framework for ambulance services while maintaining service quality and response times.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 36-2201, 36-2207, 36-2213, 36-2232, 36-2233, 36-2234, 36-2235, 36-2239, 36-2205, 36-2202, 36-2204, 36-2225, 36-2212, 36-401, 36-2240, 36-2237, 36-2217, 36-2242, 48-820, 48-822, 12-904, 41-1092.08, 36-2245
Senate Engrossed Version: 36-2232, 36-2233, 36-2234, 36-2235, 36-2239, 36-2212, 36-401, 36-2240, 36-2237, 36-2217, 36-2242, 48-820, 48-822, 12-904, 41-1092.08, 36-2245