ASSEMBLY BUDGET COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

[First Reprint]

SENATE, No. 2435

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 26, 2024

      The Assembly Budget Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 2435 (1R).

      As amended by the committee, 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 amended 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.  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 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 emergency medical technician” is defined under the bill as an EMT who provides basic life support services without receiving any compensation, such as an hourly wage or a salary.  The amended bill excludes individuals employed full-time by a general or special hospital from status as a volunteer EMT and they may not be reimbursed under the fund.

      The bill requires the head of the ambulance, first aid and rescue squad to seek reimbursement from an EMT that cease 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.  However, the bill provides that an emergency medical technician who ceases to be a volunteer in good standing in order to attend a public or private institution of higher education is not responsible for reimbursing the fund.  The Department of Health will exercise oversight authority over the collection of funds.

      As reported by the committee, Senate Bill No. 2435 (1R) is identical to Assembly Bill No. 3537 (1R), which was also reported by the committee on this date.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to provide that an emergency medical technician who ceases to be a volunteer in good standing in order to attend a public or private institution of higher education is not responsible for reimbursing the fund. 

FISCAL IMPACT:

      Fiscal information for this bill is currently unavailable.