HF 553

as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 02/12/2024 12:38pm

A bill for an act
relating to health care; requiring the Emergency Medical Services Regulatory
Board to implement a communications and patient logistics platform; authorizing
grants; requiring annual reports; appropriating money; 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.122] MULTIJURISDICTION COMMUNICATIONS AND PATIENT
LOGISTICS PLATFORM.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Implementation, maintenance, and use of platform. new text end

new text begin The board must
purchase, implement, and maintain a secure, multijurisdiction communications and patient
logistics platform that is capable of providing patient tracking, facilitating the provision of
telehealth services, providing information necessary for appropriate destination selection
by ambulance service personnel, and collecting information needed to support additional
developments in time-sensitive systems of care. The platform must be available for use by
entities that include but are not limited to ambulance services licensed under this chapter,
regional emergency medical services systems designated under section 144E.50, health care
providers involved with emergency medical services integration and care, and medical
resource communication centers. The platform must contain functionalities that are scalable
to address routine, daily operations; pandemic response; mass casualty incidents; special
events; and natural disasters.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Grants. new text end

new text begin The board may distribute grants on an annual basis to regional
emergency medical services systems designated under section 144E.50 to be used to support
implementation of the platform statewide.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Annual report. new text end

new text begin By February 1, 2025, and each February 1 thereafter, the board
must submit a report to the legislative committees with jurisdiction over the board on the
communications and patient logistics platform implemented according to this section.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin MULTIJURISDICTION COMMUNICATIONS AND PATIENT LOGISTICS
PLATFORM.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Purchase and implementation strategy. new text end

new text begin By January 1, 2024, the
Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board must purchase and develop an
implementation strategy for a multijurisdiction communications and patient logistics platform
that meets the requirements of Minnesota Statutes, section 144E.122.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Evaluation. new text end

new text begin The board must establish a process to evaluate and implement the
most practicable platform available that will interact with all levels of licensed ambulance
services in the state. When evaluating platforms for purchase, the board must consider the
ability of the platform to:
new text end

new text begin (1) assist with migrating surges of patients to acute care facilities;
new text end

new text begin (2) assist with responding to overcrowding at acute care facilities, including situations
in which patients cannot be transferred;
new text end

new text begin (3) assist with appropriate load-leveling within licensed health care facilities; and
new text end

new text begin (4) provide information to allow more timely inpatient placements and more timely,
in-place mental health and substance use assessments.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS.
new text end

new text begin $950,000 in fiscal year 2024 and $950,000 in fiscal year 2025 are appropriated from the
general fund to the Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board for costs of the
multijurisdiction communications and patient logistics platform. Of these amounts:
new text end

new text begin (1) $750,000 in fiscal year 2024 and $750,000 in fiscal year 2025 are for the board to
purchase and implement the multijurisdiction communications and patient logistics platform
under Minnesota Statutes, section 144E.122, subdivision 1;
new text end

new text begin (2) $180,000 in fiscal year 2024 and $180,000 in fiscal year 2025 are for grants under
Minnesota Statutes, section 144E.122, subdivision 2; and
new text end

new text begin (3) $20,000 in fiscal year 2024 and $20,000 in fiscal year 2025 are for the board's
administrative costs to purchase and implement the platform and issue grants under Minnesota
Statutes, section 144E.122.
new text end