This bill establishes new grant programs and funding mechanisms to bolster ambulance services and emergency medical services (EMS) in Minnesota. It introduces an "ambulance service cost of readiness grant program" to assist licensed ambulance services with their capital and operational expenses, as well as an "emergency medical services improvement, modernization, and sustainability grant program" aimed at enhancing the EMS system. Additionally, a "rural emergency medical services uncompensated care pool payment program" is created to provide financial support to eligible ambulance services in non-metropolitan areas. To fund these initiatives, the bill establishes a monthly emergency medical services telecommunications fee for wireless voice service subscribers.

The legislation amends several sections of Minnesota Statutes, including the addition of definitions for "medical response unit" and "specialized medical response unit," and introduces a new emergency medical services special revenue account. It modifies existing statutes to incorporate a prepaid wireless emergency medical services fee, which will be collected alongside other telecommunications fees, and allows sellers to retain three percent of these fees. The bill mandates that the commissioner of revenue allocate collected fees to various accounts, including a one-time transfer of $80 million from the general fund to the emergency medical services special revenue account in 2025. It also appropriates significant funding for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, designating $16 million for ambulance service readiness grants, $60 million for EMS improvement and modernization grants, and $4 million for rural EMS uncompensated care, while repealing a section related to medical response unit registration.

Statutes affected:
Introduction: 144E.275, 144E.001, 403.161, 403.162