Legislative Benefits

• Supported and lobbied the Creation of an independent EMS regulatory authority
• Felony penalty for assaulting EMS personnel and hospital Emergency Department staff
• Seat belt fine of $25 with 90% dedication to EMS Regional Programs
• Inclusion of dedicated funding from the general fund for each biennium of $156,000 for each 8 Regional EMS programs
• Inclusion of all licensed ambulance personnel and 1st Responders in the state’s Death Benefits program
• Creation of Volunteer Ambulance personnel recruitment & retention program with an initial and dedicated funding of $950,000 /year
• Creation of EMS Taxing Districts [allows local taxing to support 1st responders, ambulance, emergency communications and related activities]
• Extending Revenue Recapture Act to all ambulance services licensed under statute 144e. [allows ambulance services to collect unpaid ambulance bills through the state]
• Maintain funding of the volunteer ambulance training reimbursement program of $$361,000 a year $722,000 biennium
• Tax exemptions for all licensed ambulance services from sales, license plate, repair parts
• State gas tax exemption for all licensed ambulance providers [21 cents/gallon]
• Appropriations for Automatic External Defibrillators [AED] for volunteer ambulance providers and state patrol vehicles statewide
• Exemption for annual licensing fees for air ambulances
• Mandatory reimbursement for all emergency ambulance calls; tighten reimbursement criteria for non-emergency ambulance transfers
• Extend Good Samaritan protection for non-EMS, full-time employees who use an AED
• State subsidy for the Comprehensive Advanced Life Support [CALS] program that began with $108,000/year and was increased to $408,000/year. In 2018-2019 secured and additional $200,000 appropriation.
• Blocked mandatory reporting by EMS personnel of patients suspected of being under influence of drugs or alcohol
• Secured study on ambulance insurance premium increases
• Secured study and recommendations on Ambulance Subscription Plans
• Creation of Volunteer Ambulance license plates
• Penalties for failure to yield to emergency vehicles
• Definition and voluntary registration of first responders and medical response units
• Inclusion of emergency ambulance in Minnesota Care insurance program
• Changed the law to allow for the creation of the North Central EMS purchasing cooperative
• Extended Peer Review protection to ambulance services
• Prohibition of discrimination against EMS personnel in securing health and life insurance
• Secured funding for statewide EMS Communications study
• Secured $199,000 for emergency communications equipment, destroyed by storms
• Successfully opposed reductions of funding for 8 EMS Regional Programs during numerous legislative sessions
• Secured $290,000 for the 8 Regional EMS programs to distribute and train EMS providers on Narcan
• Worked to increase funding to the 8 EMS Regional Programs
• Successfully opposed substantive changes in current ambulance licensing laws (Primary Service Area Law)
• Allowed waiver for the 2 EMT requirement for volunteer ambulance services
• Successfully challenged Met Life Insurance Company’s reduction in ambulance reimbursement under auto insurance
• Increased Medicaid reimbursement for ambulance [resulted in nearly doubling reimbursement for public assistance patients] Highest in Country.
• Added all Governmental ambulance Services in the 2017 session to the Medicaid Inter-Governmental transfer program for ambulance services. Results in leveraging millions of dollars for government ambulance providers
• Secured two ambulance positions (one rural; one metro) on the Statewide Radio Board
• Worked to prevent cuts in EMS-related funds (no funding was reduced)
• Secured an amendment to include EMS personnel to Chapter 173 that requires flags be flown at half-staff upon the death of public safety and military personnel, killed in the line of duty
• Worked with other organizations to secure passage of the 0.08 DWI legislation
• Worked with other organizations to secure passage of the PBX legislation
• Worked to support initial and continued funding of the ARMER system
• Passed the 1^st in the Country Community Paramedic/EMT enabling and payment legislation
• Successfully blocked legislation that would have prohibited use of social security numbers as identifiers for ambulance data collection
• Secured permanent funding ($682,000 per year) for Metro East and Metro West online medical control
• Allowing use of Drive Cam devices in emergency vehicles
• Played key role in securing passage of legislation creating a Statewide Trauma System and permanent funding
• In 2017 session eliminated the proration requirement for non-emergency medical transportation
• Secured legislation for a single administrative structure for non-emergency medical transportation in 2015