By Grant Coursey
The Bismarck Tribune
BISMARK, N.D. — The North Dakota House of Representatives passed a bill on Tuesday to support distressed ambulance services.
Senate Bill 2033 was created in response to rising instances of ambulance service failures and dysfunction, especially in rural areas, according to Adam Parker, co-chair of the North Dakota Emergency Medical Association’s advocacy committee.
The proposed program would provide guidance and support for ambulance services if they are designated as distressed, while also holding the services accountable for coming up with a plan to address their problems.
The House severely amended the bill, reducing its cost from $150,000 to $7,000 according to the bill’s fiscal note.
After House amendments, the bill calls for a “distressed ambulance workgroup” that includes at least one representative each from the affected ambulance service, county commission, city council, law enforcement, school board and the public.
The work group would develop an emergency medical services plan and determine if the distressed ambulance service’s license needs to be downgraded. In the event the distressed ambulance service’s license is downgraded, its service area would be divided to adjacent ambulance services without a vote.
An ambulance service is determined to be distressed if it self-indicates a substantial likelihood to close in the next year or fail to comply with federal or state law or regulations.
The bill passed the House in a 83-10 vote. It now goes back to the Senate for a vote of concurrence before it can be sent to a conference committee to remedy the differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill or to the governor for his signature.
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