ASSEMBLY, No. 3772

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

220th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED MAY 2, 2022

 


 

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman  RAJ MUKHERJI

District 33 (Hudson)

Assemblyman  STERLEY S. STANLEY

District 18 (Middlesex)

Assemblywoman  SADAF F. JAFFER

District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)

 

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywomen Speight, Jimenez, McCarthy Patrick, Assemblymen Space, Wirths and Assemblywoman Mosquera

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Revises certain requirements concerning eligibility for reimbursement from “Emergency Medical Technician Training Fund.”

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

  


An Act concerning the “Emergency Medical Technician Training Fund” and amending P.L.1992, c.143.

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    Section 4 of P.L.1992, c.143 (C.26:2K-57) is amended to read as follows:

     4.    a.  The commissioner, in accordance with recommendations adopted by the council, and within the limits of those monies in the fund, shall annually reimburse any private agency, organization or entity which is certified by the commissioner to provide training and testing for volunteer ambulance, first aid and rescue squad personnel who are seeking certification or recertification as a volunteer emergency medical [technician-ambulance, or EMT-A, or emergency medical technician-defibrillation, or EMT-D, certification or recertification, or an entity which provides an educational program in the administration of epinephrine auto-injector devices that is approved by the commissioner pursuant to P.L.2003, c.1 (C.26:2K-47.1 et al.), and] technician, as well as the costs for EMT continuing education classes for volunteer emergency medical technicians, for which costs that entity is not otherwise reimbursed.  An entity that provides training and testing to volunteer emergency medical technicians and volunteer emergency medical technician candidates shall be eligible for reimbursement from the fund regardless of whether the entity receives any payment or reimbursement for providing emergency medical services.  The priority for reimbursement from the fund to an agency, organization or entity for training and testing of volunteer ambulance, first aid and rescue squad personnel shall be in the following order: [EMT-A certification, EMT-A recertification, EMT-D certification, EMT-D recertification and certification to administer epinephrine auto-injector devices pursuant to P.L.2003, c.1 (C.26:2K-47.1 et al.)] initial emergency medical technician certification; emergency medical technician refresher recertification classes, including Core A, B, and C classes; and emergency medical technician elective continuing education classes.

     b.    All reimbursements from the fund shall be promptly paid upon receipt of a qualifying application for reimbursement, which payment shall be made to the agency, organization or entity that provided training to the volunteer emergency medical technician.

     c.     (1)  The head of each ambulance, first aid and rescue squad shall notify the Department of Health whenever an individual who received initial emergency medical technician training from the squad, for which training the squad received reimbursement from the fund, ceases to serve as a volunteer emergency medical technician within a given three-year certification period. 

     (2)   The commissioner may establish a process to seek reimbursement, from an emergency medical technician who ceases to be a volunteer, for monies paid out of the fund in connection with that emergency medical technician’s training, testing, certification, recertification, or elective continuing education classes, as appropriate, in connection with the three-year certification period in which the emergency medical technician ceased to be a volunteer.

     d.    As used in this section, “volunteer emergency medical technician” means an emergency medical technician who provides basic life support services without receiving compensation in the form of an hourly wage, a salary, or any other form of financial remuneration provided for or in connection with the provision of basic life support services.

(cf: P.L.2003, c.1, s.9)

 

     2.    The Commissioner of Health shall adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as shall be necessary to implement the provisions of this act.

 

     3.    This act shall take effect 180 days after the date of enactment.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     This bill revises the requirements to receive reimbursement from the “Emergency Medical Technician Training Fund.”

     Currently, any private agency, organization or entity which is certified by the Commissioner of Health to provide training and testing for volunteer ambulance, first aid and rescue squad personnel who are seeking certification or recertification as an emergency medical technician (EMT) may be reimbursed from the fund for any costs associated with the training and testing of volunteer EMTs that are not otherwise reimbursed.  Volunteer ambulance, first aid and rescue squads are eligible for reimbursement from the fund if the squad does not receive any payment for the provision of emergency medical services, regardless of whether the individual EMTs on the squad are paid by the squad for their services.

     This bill would revise these requirements to provide that an entity may be eligible for reimbursement from the fund for the unreimbursed costs of training and certifying a volunteer EMT, regardless of whether the entity charges for the provision of basic life support services.  A “volunteer EMT” is defined under the bill to mean an EMT who provides basic life support services without receiving any compensation, such as an hourly wage or a salary.  The bill would additionally allow the fund to be used to cover the unreimbursed costs of EMT continuing education classes for volunteer EMTs.  The priority for reimbursement from the fund would be:  initial EMT training and certification classes; EMT refresher recertification classes, including Core A, B, and C classes; and EMT elective continuing education classes.

     The bill requires that all reimbursements from the fund be promptly paid upon receipt of a qualifying application for reimbursement, which payment is to be made to the agency, organization or entity that provided training to the volunteer emergency medical technician.

     The bill provides that the head of each ambulance, first aid and rescue squad will be required to notify the Department of Health whenever an individual who received initial EMT training from the squad, for which training the squad received reimbursement from the fund, ceases to serve as a volunteer EMT within a given three-year certification period.  The Commissioner of Health will be authorized to establish a process to seek reimbursement from EMTs that cease to be volunteers for monies paid out of the fund in connection with the EMT’s training, testing, certification, recertification, or elective continuing education classes, as appropriate, for that three-year certification period.