ARIZONA STATE SENATE

SAWYER BESSLER

ASSISTANT RESEARCH ANALYST

ZACK DEAN

LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH ANALYST

MILITARY AFFAIRS, PUBLIC SAFETY AND BORDER SECURITY COMMITTEE

Telephone: (602) 926-3171

RESEARCH STAFF

TO:                  MEMBERS OF THE SENATE

MILITARY AFFAIRS, PUBLIC SAFETY

AND BORDER SECURITY COMMITTEE

DATE:            March 18, 2024

SUBJECT:      Strike everything amendment to H.B. 2033, relating to ambulance services

Purpose

Allows an emergency medical responder who is employed by an ambulance service and whose primary responsibility is driving an ambulance to exclusively drive an ambulance when providing interfacility transportation. Modifies staffing requirements for ambulances providing interfacility transportation while transporting a patient.

Background

Current statute requires the Director of the Department of Health Services (Director) to adopt reasonable medical equipment, supply, staffing and safety standards, criteria and procedures to issue a certificate of registration to operate an ambulance. These standards, criteria and procedures adopted by the Director must require that ambulance services providing interfacility transportation have at least one ambulance attendant who is an emergency medical technician (EMT), a licensed physician or a professional nurse as well as one ambulance attendant who is either an EMT or an emergency medical responder staffing an ambulance while transporting a patient (A.R.S. § 36-2202).

Ambulance services must charge the basic life support base rate as prescribed by the Director under any of the following circumstances: 1) a person requests an ambulance by dialing 911 and the ambulance is staffed with two certified ambulance attendants, the ambulance is equipped with all required basic life support medical equipment and supplies and the patient receives basic life support services or is transported by the basic life support unit;  or 2) basic life support transportation or service is requested by a medical authority or by the patient (A.R.S.
 § 36-2239).

Ambulance attendant is any of the following: 1) an EMT, and advanced EMT, an EMT
I-99 or a paramedic whose primary responsibility is the care of patients in an ambulance and who meets statutorily outlined standards and criteria; 2) an emergency medical responder who is employed by an ambulance service and whose primary responsibility is driving the ambulance;
3) a physician who is licensed in medicine and surgery; 4) a professional nurse who meets the Arizona Board of Nursing criteria to care for patients in the prehospital care system and; 5) a professional nurse whose primary responsibility is the care of patients in an ambulance during an interfacility transport (A.R.S. § 36-2201).

There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.

Provisions

1. Allows an emergency medical responder who is employed by an ambulance service and whose primary responsibility is driving an ambulance to exclusively drive an ambulance when providing interfacility transportation.

2. Requires an ambulance service to charge the basic life support base rate as prescribed by the Director for an interfacility transport when the ambulance is staffed with at least one outlined ambulance attendant.

3. Specifies that the standards, criteria and procedures adopted by the Director must require that ambulance services providing interfacility transportation have one, rather than at least one, ambulance attendant who is an EMT, a licensed physician or a professional nurse.

4. Specifies that the second ambulance attendant required by the aforementioned standards may be any classification of ambulance attendant, including an emergency medical responder.

5. Becomes effective on the general effective date.