OHIO LEGISLATIVE SERVICE COMMISSION
Office of Research Legislative Budget
www.lsc.ohio.gov and Drafting Office
H.B. 600 Bill Analysis
133rd General Assembly
Click here for H.B. 600’s Fiscal Note
Version: As Introduced
Primary Sponsors: Reps. Blair and O’Brien
Effective Date:
Margaret E. Marcy, Attorney
SUMMARY
 Authorizes a person who has a valid commercial driver’s license to drive an ambulance
during the state of emergency due to COVID-19 (current law requires the driver to meet
more detailed requirements).
 Requires an EMT, an advanced EMT, or a paramedic to accompany the driver described
above for the entire emergency run.
 Declares an emergency.
DETAILED ANALYSIS
Ambulance drivers
During the period of the Governor’s executive order declaring a state of emergency due
to COVID-19,1 the bill authorizes a person who currently holds a valid commercial driver’s
license (CDL) to drive an ambulance for an emergency medical service organization.2 However,
an emergency medical technician (EMT), an advanced EMT, or a paramedic also must be
present for both traveling to the scene of the emergency and for transporting the patient away
from the scene of the emergency (the entirety of the emergency run).3
Current law specifies that the driver of an ambulance must be at least 18, hold a valid
driver’s license, and meet at least one of the following criteria:
1 Executive Order 2020-01D, issued on March 9, 2020.
2 Section 1(B).
3 Section 1(A) and (C).
April 14, 2020
Office of Research and Drafting LSC Legislative Budget Office
1. Hold a valid certificate to practice as a medical first responder, EMT, advanced EMT, or
paramedic;
2. Hold a valid fire training certificate to provide services as a firefighter;
3. Be employed and in good standing as a sworn sheriff, deputy sheriff, constable, police
officer, marshal, deputy marshal, or highway patrol trooper in this state; or
4. Have successfully completed either the emergency vehicle operations course approved
by the national highway traffic safety administration or an equivalent course approved
by the state board of emergency medical services.4
Current law also specifies that an ambulance may be staffed by one person on the way
to an emergency, but must be staffed by at least two people if transporting a person away from
the emergency (one person drives while the other person attends to the patient). The law is
structured to ensure that either an emergency EMT, an advanced EMT, or a paramedic is in the
ambulance and able to attend to the patient while transporting the patient away from the
emergency.5
Emergency
The bill declares an emergency because “immediate action is crucial to protecting the
public health” during the outbreak of COVID-19. As such, if enacted, the bill goes into effect
immediately.
HISTORY
Action Date
Introduced 04-06-20
H0600-I-133/ar
4 R.C. 4765.43(B), not in the bill.
5 R.C. 4765.43(C) and (D), not in the bill.
P a g e |2 H.B. 600
As Introduced