Sponsored by:
Senator STEVEN V. OROHO
District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)
Senator FRED H. MADDEN, JR.
District 4 (Camden and Gloucester)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senators Zwicker, Johnson, A.M.Bucco, Schepisi, Sarlo, Cruz-Perez, Diegnan, Greenstein, O'Scanlon, Ruiz, Steinhardt, Testa and Thompson
SYNOPSIS
Revises certain requirements concerning eligibility for reimbursement from “Emergency Medical Technician Training Fund.”
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee on November 30, 2023, with amendments.
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 1,1 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, 1[as well as the costs for EMT continuing education classes for volunteer emergency medical technicians,]1 for which costs that 1agency, organization, or1 entity is not otherwise reimbursed. An 1agency, organization, or1 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 1[entity] ambulance, first aid and rescue squad employing or utilizing the services of the volunteer emergency medical technician1 receives any payment or reimbursement for providing emergency medical services. The priority for reimbursement from the fund to an agency, organization 1,1 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 1[;] and1 emergency medical technician refresher recertification classes, including Core A, B, and C classes 1[; and emergency medical technician elective continuing education classes]1 .
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 1,1 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 1[the squad, for which training the squad] an agency, organization, or entity that1 received reimbursement from the fund 1for providing the initial emergency medical technician training to that individual1 , ceases to serve as a volunteer emergency medical technician within a given three-year certification period. 1Subject to the provisions of subsection d. of this section, the determination as to whether an emergency medical technician is a volunteer shall be at the discretion of the head of the ambulance, first aid and rescue squad employing or utilizing the services of the emergency medical technician; provided that an emergency medical technician who otherwise meets the requirements of subsection d. of this section shall not be determined to not be a volunteer emergency medical technician solely on the basis that, in addition to serving as a volunteer emergency medical technician, the emergency medical technician works one or more shifts with an ambulance, first aid and rescue squad for which shift the emergency medical technician receives compensation in the form of an hourly wage, salary, or other form of financial remuneration.1
(2) The commissioner 1[may] shall1 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, 1or1 recertification 1[, or elective continuing education classes]1 , as appropriate, in connection with the 1initial1 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.