HF 5399

as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 04/18/2024 02:53pm

A bill for an act
relating to health; providing onetime aid to certain licensed ambulance services;
requiring reports; appropriating money.

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

Section 1. new text begin EMERGENCY AID TO AMBULANCE SERVICES.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Definitions. new text end

new text begin (a) For purposes of this section, the definitions in Minnesota
Statutes, section 144E.001, apply and the terms in this subdivision have the meanings given.
new text end

new text begin (b) "EMS responses" means the number of responses reported to the board by a licensee
via the Minnesota state ambulance reporting system during calendar year 2023.
new text end

new text begin (c) "Response density" means the quotient of a licensee's EMS responses divided by the
square mileage of the licensee's primary service area.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Excluded services. new text end

new text begin The board shall exclude EMS responses by specialized life
support as described under Minnesota Statutes, section 144E.101, subdivision 9, when
calculating EMS responses, response density, or aid payments under this section.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Multiple licenses. new text end

new text begin When a licensee, a licensee's parent company, a subsidiary
of the licensee, or a subsidiary of the licensee's parent company collectively hold one or
more licenses, the board must treat all such related licensees as a single licensee and the
sum of the square mileages of the primary service areas as a single primary service area for
the purposes of calculating EMS responses, response density, and aid payments under this
section.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Eligible licensees; application process. new text end

new text begin (a) Only licensees with a response
density of 30 responses per square mile or fewer are eligible for aid payments under this
section.
new text end

new text begin (b) An eligible licensee may apply to the board, in the form and manner determined by
the board, for aid payments under this section.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Board calculations. new text end

new text begin (a) Prior to determining an aid payment amount for eligible
applicants, the board must make the calculations in paragraphs (b) to (d).
new text end

new text begin (b) For each eligible applicant, the board shall determine the amount equal to dividing
20 percent of the amount appropriated for aid payments under this section equally among
all eligible applicants.
new text end

new text begin (c) For each eligible applicant, the board shall determine the amount equal to dividing
40 percent of the amount appropriated for aid payments under this section by each eligible
applicant's share of the total square mileage of all eligible applicants' primary service areas.
For the purposes of both calculating the total square mileage of the primary service areas
of all eligible applicants and for calculating each eligible applicant's share of the total, the
square mileage of each eligible applicant's primary service area is capped at 1,200 square
miles.
new text end

new text begin (d) For each eligible applicant, the board shall determine the amount equal to dividing
40 percent of the amount appropriated for aid payments under this section by each eligible
applicant's share of the total EMS response points awarded according to clauses (1) to (4):
new text end

new text begin (1) for EMS response 1 to EMS response 500, a licensee is awarded ten points for each
EMS response;
new text end

new text begin (2) for EMS response 501 to EMS response 1,500, a licensee is awarded five points for
each EMS response;
new text end

new text begin (3) for EMS response 1,501 to EMS response 2,500, a licensee is awarded zero points
for each EMS response; and
new text end

new text begin (4) for EMS response 2,501 and each subsequent EMS response, a licensee's points are
reduced by two points for each EMS response, except a licensee's total awarded points must
not be reduced below zero.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Aid amount. new text end

new text begin The board must make an aid payment to an eligible applicant in
the amount equal to the sum of the amounts calculated in subdivision 5, paragraphs (b) to
(d).
new text end

new text begin Subd. 7. new text end

new text begin Eligible uses. new text end

new text begin A recipient of an aid payment under this section must spend the
money only on expenses incurred in the provision of licensed ambulance services within
the recipient's primary service area or areas. A recipient of an aid payment under this section
must spend the entire amount by December 31, 2027, or return to the board by March 1,
2028, any amount not spent by December 31, 2027.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 8. new text end

new text begin Payment date. new text end

new text begin The executive director of the board must certify the aid payment
amount for each eligible applicant and must make the full aid payment by December 31,
2024.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 9. new text end

new text begin Report. new text end

new text begin By December 31, 2025, and by December 31 of each of the following
two years, recipients of aid payments under this section must submit to the board a report
summarizing how the recipient used the revenue from the aid payments. Beginning March
31, 2026, and by March 31 of each of the following two years, the board must submit to
the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction
over the board a report summarizing how the aid payments were utilized by aid recipients.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 10. new text end

new text begin Appropriation. new text end

new text begin $120,000,000 in fiscal year 2025 is appropriated from the
general fund to the Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board for aid payments to
eligible applicants under this section. This is a onetime appropriation and is available until
June 30, 2028.
new text end