This bill mandates that counties and municipalities in South Dakota must provide emergency medical services within their jurisdictions. It amends existing laws to increase liquidated court costs from fifty to fifty-five dollars, which will be allocated to various funds, including five dollars to a newly established emergency medical services fund. The bill also introduces requirements for counties and municipalities to ensure a minimum level of emergency medical service, including response times, required personnel, treatment protocols, and quality assurance standards.

Additionally, the bill creates the emergency medical services fund, which will be funded by the liquidated costs and other designated moneys. The fund will be used to provide grants to counties and municipalities for operational costs, equipment purchases, personnel recruitment, and training necessary for maintaining emergency medical services. The department will prioritize grant awards for smaller counties and municipalities, as well as those that collaborate in service provision. The bill also outlines the application process for grants and mandates annual reporting on grant distribution and usage. The state treasurer is instructed to transfer $1,000,000 from the general fund to the emergency medical services fund, with the act set to take effect on June 30, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced, 01/09/2025: 23-3-52, 23-3-53, 34-11-1