SF 2416

as introduced - 87th Legislature (2011 - 2012) Posted on 03/14/2012 08:52am

A bill for an act
relating to emergency medical services; establishing an interstate highway
emergency response account; creating an interstate emergency response
reimbursement program; requiring a report from the Department of Revenue;
appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 168A.40,
subdivision 4; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 144E.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

new text begin [144E.51] INTERSTATE HIGHWAY EMERGENCY RESPONSE
ACCOUNT.
new text end

new text begin An interstate highway emergency response account is created in the general fund.
Money in the account must be used for the interstate highway emergency response
reimbursement program, pursuant to section 144E.511. This account must be credited
with $500,000 each year from the automobile insurance surcharge, pursuant to section
168A.40, subdivision 4.
new text end

Sec. 2.

new text begin [144E.511] INTERSTATE HIGHWAY EMERGENCY RESPONSE
REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision. 1. new text end

new text begin Established. new text end

new text begin The board shall establish and administer the interstate
emergency response reimbursement program in order to reimburse ambulance services for
unrecovered costs resulting from providing emergency services to persons on interstate
highways in the state.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Eligibility. new text end

new text begin In order to be eligible for reimbursement under this program,
an ambulance service must meet the following criteria:
new text end

new text begin (1) be a licensed ambulance service with the majority of its personnel who are
volunteer ambulance attendants, as defined in section 144E.001, subdivision 15;
new text end

new text begin (2) have at least one interstate highway that runs through its primary service area; and
new text end

new text begin (3) submit evidence to the board demonstrating that it (i) provided emergency
services to an out-of-state resident on an interstate highway, issued the patient a claim for
such service, and was unable to collect on the debt, or (ii) provided emergency services on
an interstate highway to an unidentified patient and was unable to collect on the debt.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Reimbursement. new text end

new text begin Upon receipt of a request for reimbursement from
an eligible ambulance service, pursuant to subdivision 2, the board must provide
reimbursement to an eligible ambulance service within 30 days of receipt of the request.
The board may determine the percentage of the claim to be reimbursed based on available
funding in the interstate highway emergency response account.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Funds. new text end

new text begin (a) Funds deposited into the interstate highway emergency response
account established in section 144E.51, are appropriated to the board for purposes of
providing reimbursement to eligible ambulance services pursuant to this section.
new text end

new text begin (b) A maximum of $50,000 each year of the funds appropriated to the board under
paragraph (a), may be used by the board for administrative expenses associated with
implementing this section.
new text end

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 168A.40, subdivision 4, is amended to read:

Subd. 4.

Automobile theft prevention account.

A special revenue account is
created in the state treasury to be credited with the proceeds of the surcharge imposed
under subdivision 3. Of the revenue in the account, $1,300,000 each year must be
transferred to the general fund new text begin , and $500,000 each year must be transferred to the interstate
highway emergency response account established under section 144E.51 new text end . Revenues in
excess of deleted text begin $1,300,000 deleted text end new text begin $1,800,000 new text end each year may be used only for the automobile theft
prevention program described in section 65B.84.

Sec. 4. new text begin RECIPROCAL AMBULANCE SERVICES REVENUE RECAPTURE
AND DEBT COLLECTION AGREEMENT WITH WISCONSIN.
new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner of revenue, in consultation with the director of the Emergency
Medical Services Board, shall initiate discussions with the secretary of revenue of
Wisconsin, to determine the feasibility of entering into an agreement under which
Wisconsin would collect on behalf of Minnesota ambulance services the debts owed by
Wisconsin residents, and Minnesota would collect on behalf of Wisconsin ambulance
services the debts owed by Minnesota residents, either through direct state debt collection
or through revenue recapture offsets under chapter 270A, or through both methods.
new text end

new text begin (b) No later than January 15, 2013, the Department of Revenue, in consultation
with the Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board, must submit a report on the
discussions to the governor and to the chairs and ranking minority members of the
legislative committees having jurisdiction over health and human services reform and
finance, taxes, and transportation policy and finance, in compliance with Minnesota
Statutes, sections 3.195 and 3.197. The report must:
new text end

new text begin (1) identify existing laws and statutes in both states that could be relevant to
implementing a state-facilitated solution to collection of debts owed by residents of one
state to ambulance services of the other state;
new text end

new text begin (2) list the actions necessary for the two states to enter an agreement for collection of
debts owed to ambulance services;
new text end

new text begin (3) outline the advantages and disadvantages of implementing:
new text end

new text begin (i) a direct debt collection; or
new text end

new text begin (ii) a mechanism such as revenue recapture under chapter 270A; and
new text end

new text begin (4) propose draft legislation through which the two agencies could advance the
objective of making whole ambulance services owed debts by residents of the other state
for services performed in emergency situations.
new text end

new text begin (c) For purposes of this section, the term "ambulance services" means services
located in Minnesota and licensed under chapter 144E, and ambulance services located in
Wisconsin and licensed or otherwise authorized under a corresponding Wisconsin law.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end

Sec. 5. new text begin SUNSET ADVISORY COMMISSION.
new text end

new text begin The program established under Minnesota Statutes, section 144E.511, shall be
reviewed by the Sunset Advisory Commission when the Emergency Medical Services
Regulatory Board is reviewed, pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, chapter 3D.
new text end