1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to health; modifying provisions for ambulance service and interhospital 
1.3 	transfer; amending Minnesota Statutes 2006, sections 144E.101, subdivision 
1.4 	6; 144E.127; 144E.35, subdivision 1.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 144E.101, subdivision 6, is amended to 
1.7 	read:
1.8 		Subd. 6.Basic life support. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (e), a basic life 
1.9 	support ambulance shall be staffed by at least two ambulance service personnel, at least 
1.10 	one of which must be an EMT, who provide a level of care so as to ensure that:
1.11 	(1) life-threatening situations and potentially serious injuries are recognized;
1.12 	(2) patients are protected from additional hazards;
1.13 	(3) basic treatment to reduce the seriousness of emergency situations is administered; 
1.14 	and
1.15 	(4) patients are transported to an appropriate medical facility for treatment.
1.16 	(b) A basic life support service shall provide basic airway management.
1.17 	(c) By January 1, 2001, a basic life support service shall provide automatic 
1.18 	defibrillation, as provided in section 144E.103, subdivision 1, paragraph (b). 
1.19 	(d) A basic life support service licensee's medical director may authorize the 
1.20 	ambulance service personnel to carry and to use medical antishock trousers and to perform 
1.21 	intravenous infusion if the ambulance service personnel have been properly trained.
1.22 	(e) Upon application from an ambulance service that includes evidence 
1.23 	demonstrating hardship, the board may grant a temporary variance from the staff 
1.24 	requirements in paragraph (a) and may authorize a basic life support ambulance to be 
2.1 	staffed by one EMT and one first responder. The variance shall apply to basic life support 
2.2 	ambulances operated by the ambulance service for up to one year from the date of the 
2.3 	variance's issuance until the ambulance service renews its license. When a variance 
2.4 	expires, an ambulance service may apply for a new variance under this paragraph. For 
2.5 	purposes of this paragraph, "ambulance service" means either an ambulance service whose 
2.6 	primary service area is located outside the metropolitan counties listed in section 473.121, 
2.7 	subdivision 4, and outside the cities of Duluth, Mankato, Moorhead, Rochester, and St. 
2.8 	Cloud; or an ambulance service based in a community with a population of less than 1,000. 

2.9 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 144E.127, is amended to read:
2.10 	144E.127 INTERHOSPITAL; INTERFACILITY TRANSFER.
2.11 		Subdivision 1.Interhospital transfers. When transporting a patient from one 
2.12 	licensed hospital to another, a licensee may substitute for one of the required ambulance 
2.13 	service personnel, a physician, a registered nurse, or physician's assistant who has been 
2.14 	trained to use the equipment in the ambulance and is knowledgeable of the licensee's 
2.15 	ambulance service protocols.
2.16 		Subd. 2.Interfacility transfers. In an interfacility transport, a licensee whose 
2.17 	primary service area is located outside the metropolitan counties listed in section 473.121, 
2.18 	subdivision 4, and outside the cities of Duluth, Mankato, Moorhead, Rochester, and St. 
2.19 	Cloud; or an ambulance service based in a community with a population of less than 1,000, 
2.20 	may substitute one EMT with a registered first responder if an EMT or EMT-paramedic, 
2.21 	physician, registered nurse, or physician's assistant is in the patient compartment. If using 
2.22 	a physician, registered nurse, or physician's assistant as the sole provider in the patient 
2.23 	compartment, the individual must be trained to use the equipment in the ambulance and be 
2.24 	knowledgeable of the ambulance service protocols.

2.25 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 144E.35, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
2.26 		Subdivision 1.Repayment for volunteer training. Any political subdivision, or 
2.27 	nonprofit hospital or nonprofit corporation operating A licensed ambulance service shall 
2.28 	be reimbursed by the board for the necessary expense of the initial training of a volunteer 
2.29 	ambulance attendant upon successful completion by the attendant of a basic emergency 
2.30 	care course, or a continuing education course for basic emergency care, or both, which has 
2.31 	been approved by the board, pursuant to section 144E.285. Reimbursement may include 
2.32 	tuition, transportation, food, lodging, hourly payment for the time spent in the training 
2.33 	course, and other necessary expenditures, except that in no instance shall a volunteer 
3.1 	ambulance attendant be reimbursed more than $450$600 for successful completion of a 
3.2 	basic course, and $225$275 for successful completion of a continuing education course.