This bill establishes a new Ambulance Service Training and Staffing Grant Program under Minnesota Statutes, section 144E.38. The program aims to provide financial assistance to eligible ambulance services for training their employees as emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and for staffing purposes. To qualify for the grant, ambulance services must be licensed and have at least 50% of their staffing provided by EMTs in the previous calendar year. The application process requires services to specify the number of individuals they plan to hire and the training hours they intend to fund with the grant money.

The bill outlines allowable uses for the grant funds, which include tuition for EMT education programs, examination fees for EMT certification, background study fees for new employees, and wage and benefit costs for employees attending training. The maximum grant amount is capped at the costs incurred for these purposes, with a specific wage limit of $26 per hour for entry-level EMTs. Additionally, the bill appropriates $750,000 for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 from the general fund to support this grant program.