SF 2538

Introduction - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)

Posted on 03/14/2025 10:59 a.m.

A bill for an act
relating to health; providing 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 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 director by a licensee
via the Minnesota state ambulance reporting system during the previous calendar year.
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 director 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 director 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 director, in the form and manner determined
by the director, for aid payments under this section.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Director calculations. new text end

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

new text begin (b) For each eligible applicant, the director 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 director 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 director 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 director 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 within two calendar years after receiving the aid. Any unspent
aid must be returned to the director.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 8. new text end

new text begin Payment date. new text end

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

new text begin Subd. 9. new text end

new text begin Report. new text end

new text begin (a) By December 31 of each year following the receipt of an aid payment
under this section, a recipient of an aid payment must submit to the director a report
summarizing how the recipient used the revenue from the aid payment made in the preceding
year.
new text end

new text begin (b) By March 31 of each year following the reporting required under paragraph (a), the
director must submit to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees
with jurisdiction over the Office of Emergency Medical Services a report summarizing the
information provided by aid recipients under paragraph (a).
new text end

new text begin Subd. 10. new text end

new text begin Appropriation. new text end

new text begin $15,000,000 in fiscal year 2026 and $15,000,000 in fiscal
year 2027 are appropriated from the general fund to the Office of Emergency Medical
Services for aid payments to eligible applicants under this section.
new text end