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.

Key legal changes include the addition of definitions for "medical response unit" and "specialized medical response unit," clarifying their roles in medical emergencies. The bill also specifies the remittance of various EMS-related fees to the commissioner of revenue and allows sellers to retain three percent of these fees. It mandates that collected fees be deposited into a new emergency medical services special revenue account, which will receive a one-time transfer of $80 million from the general fund on July 1, 2025. Furthermore, the bill appropriates substantial funding for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, including $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 specific section related to medical response unit registration. Overall, the bill aims to enhance the financial sustainability and operational capacity of emergency medical services across Minnesota.

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