House Bill No. 6976 mandates the Department of Public Health (DPH) to establish requirements for hospital emergency department diversions, which occur when hospitals reroute incoming ambulances due to saturation of their emergency department resources or lack of medical capability. The bill defines "emergency department diversion" and "emergency department saturation," and outlines that hospitals must adopt specific diversion policies, notify DPH before declaring a diversion, and follow established procedures for receiving diverted patients. Additionally, the bill requires emergency medical service (EMS) organizations to comply with these diversion requirements and subjects them to disciplinary actions for noncompliance.

The DPH commissioner is tasked with adopting regulations to implement these provisions, with the ability to implement interim policies and procedures while final regulations are being developed. The bill includes a provision that allows for disciplinary actions against EMS organizations that fail to adhere to the established requirements. The effective date for these changes is set for July 1, 2025. Notably, the bill does not anticipate any fiscal impact on the state or municipalities, as the DPH is expected to have the necessary expertise to fulfill these responsibilities.