DOA:......Bollhorst, BB0020 - EMS Funding Assistance Program
For 2025-2027 Budget -- Not Ready For Introduction
An Act ...; relating to: the budget.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Emergency services
Emergency medical services funding assistance
Under current law, DHS must annually distribute grants for vehicles, supplies, equipment, medication, or training to certain emergency medical responder departments and certain ambulance service providers under a funding formula consisting of an identical base amount plus a supplemental amount based upon the population of the primary service area or contract area. Under the bill, the funding formula must consist of a base amount based on provider type and a supplemental amount based upon the population or other relevant factors of the primary service area or contract area. Currently, grant recipients may not expend more than 15 percent of a grant on nondurable or disposable medical supplies or equipment and medications. The bill removes the limitation for equipment.
In addition, current law requires DHS to distribute grants to emergency medical responder departments and certain ambulance service providers to pay for certain training, licensure, and certification requirements, including administration of the licensure examination for emergency medical technicians. Under the bill, the grants may be used to pay for administration of the licensure examination for any type of emergency medical services practitioner, not just emergency medical technicians.
For further information see the local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. 256.12 (4) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
256.12 (4) (a) From the appropriation account under s. 20.435 (1) (r), the department shall annually distribute funds for ambulance service vehicles or vehicle equipment, emergency medical services supplies or equipment, nondurable or disposable medical supplies or equipment, medications, or emergency medical training for personnel to an emergency medical responder department or ambulance service provider that is a public agency, a volunteer fire department or a nonprofit corporation, under a funding formula consisting of an identical a base amount for each emergency medical responder department or ambulance service provider based on provider type, plus a supplemental amount based on the population or other relevant factors of the emergency medical responder department’s primary service area or the population or other relevant factors of the ambulance service provider’s primary service or contract area, as established under s. 256.15 (5), as applicable.
Section 2. 256.12 (4) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
256.12 (4) (c) Funds distributed under par. (a) or (b) shall supplement existing, budgeted moneys of or provided to an ambulance service provider and may not be used to replace, decrease or release for alternative purposes the existing, budgeted moneys of or provided to the ambulance service provider. A grant recipient under this subsection cannot expend more than 15 percent of a grant awarded during an annual grant cycle on nondurable or disposable medical supplies or equipment and medications. In order to ensure compliance with this paragraph, the department shall require, as a condition of relicensure, a financial report of expenditures under this subsection from an ambulance service provider and may require a financial report of expenditures under this subsection from an emergency medical responder department or an owner or operator of an ambulance service or a public agency, volunteer fire department or a nonprofit corporation with which an ambulance service provider has contracted to provide ambulance services grant recipients.
Section 3. 256.12 (5) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
256.12 (5) (a) From the appropriation account under s. 20.435 (1) (r), the department shall annually distribute funds to emergency medical responder departments or ambulance service providers that are public agencies, volunteer fire departments, or nonprofit corporations to purchase the training required for licensure and renewal of licensure as an emergency medical technician under s. 256.15 (6) or for certification and renewal of certification as an emergency medical responder under s. 256.15 (8), and to pay for administration of the examination required for licensure or renewal of licensure as an emergency medical technician services practitioner under s. 256.15 (6) (a) 3. and (b) 1. or certification or renewal of certification as an emergency medical responder under s. 256.15 (8).
Section 4. 256.12 (5) (am) of the statutes is amended to read:
256.12 (5) (am) If an emergency medical responder department or ambulance service provider does not use funds received under par. (a) within a calendar year, the emergency medical responder department or ambulance service provider may escrow those funds in the year in which the funds are distributed to the emergency medical responder department or ambulance service provider, except funds distributed for nondurable or disposable medical supplies or equipment or medications. In a subsequent year, an emergency medical responder department or ambulance service provider may use escrowed funds to purchase the training required for certification or renewal of certification as an emergency medical responder or licensure or renewal of licensure as an emergency medical services practitioner at any level or to pay for administration of the examination required for certification or renewal of certification as an emergency medical responder or for licensure or renewal of licensure as an emergency medical services practitioner at any level.
Section 9319. Initial applicability; Health Services.
(1) Support and improvement of emergency medical services. The treatment of s. 256.12 (4) (a) and (c) of this act first applies to funds distributed under s. 256.12 (4) (a) on the effective date of this subsection.
(2) Emergency medical services training and examination aid. The treatment of s. 256.12 (5) (a) and (am) first applies to funds distributed under s. 256.12 (5) (a) on the effective date of this subsection.
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