S2435

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 for which costs that agency, organization, or entity is not otherwise reimbursed. An agency, organization, or 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 ambulance, first aid and rescue squad employing or utilizing the services of the volunteer emergency medical technician 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 and emergency medical technician refresher recertification 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 the ambulance, first aid and rescue squad employing or utilizing the services of an emergency medical technician, who received initial emergency medical technician training from an agency, organization, or entity that received reimbursement from the fund for providing the initial emergency medical technician training to that emergency medical technician, shall determine the emergency medical technician to be a volunteer in good standing provided that the emergency medical technician works at least one service call per month during the initial three-year certification period as a volunteer emergency medical technician.

(2) The head of the ambulance, first aid and rescue squad shall seek reimbursement from the emergency medical technician, if the emergency medical technician ceases to be a volunteer in good standing, for monies paid out of the fund in connection with that emergency medical technician’s training, testing, certification, or recertification, as appropriate, in connection with the initial three-year certification period in which the emergency medical technician ceased to be a volunteer in good standing. The Department of Health shall exercise oversight authority over the collection of funds pursuant to this paragraph.

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.

The bill would revise these requirements to provide that any agency, organization, or entity may be eligible for reimbursement from the fund for the unreimbursed costs of training and certifying a volunteer EMT, regardless of whether the ambulance, first aid and rescue squad employing or utilizing the services of the volunteer EMT charges for the provision of basic life support services. The priority for reimbursement from the fund would be initial EMT training and certification classes and EMT refresher recertification 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 EMT. 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 an agency, organization, or entity that received reimbursement from the fund for providing the initial EMT training to that individual, ceases to serve as a volunteer EMT within a given three-year certification period.

The bill provides that the head of the ambulance, first aid and rescue squad employing or utilizing the services of an EMT, who received initial EMT training that was reimbursed by the fund, will determine the EMT to be a volunteer in good standing provided that the EMT works at least one service call per month during the initial three-year certification period as a volunteer EMT.

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 requires the head of the ambulance, first aid and rescue squad to seek reimbursement from an EMT that ceases to be a volunteer in good standing for monies paid out of the fund in connection with the EMT’s training, testing, certification, recertification, as appropriate, for that initial three-year certification period. The Department of Health will exercise oversight authority over the collection of funds.