LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE
SENATE, No. 1772
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
DATED: FEBRUARY 24, 2026
SUMMARY
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Synopsis: |
Requires DOH to develop Statewide Emergency Medical Services Plan. |
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Type of Impact: |
Annual increase in State expenditures, potential annual increase in county and municipal expenditures. |
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Agencies Affected: |
Department of Health; local governments. |
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Annual Fiscal Impact |
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State Cost Increase |
Indeterminate |
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Potential Local Cost Increase |
Indeterminate |
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· The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) finds that annual State expenditures would increase under the bill by an indeterminate amount to develop, implement, and periodically revise the Statewide Emergency Medical Services Plan and notes that costs could rise into the millions of dollars annually over a multi-year period.
· To the extent that the Office of Emergency Medical Services determines that the plan should include the use of regional emergency medical services plans, which will be developed by county and local boards of health, county and municipal costs could increase.
· There is the potential for annual cost savings if the bill’s requirements were to cause positive health outcomes or result in operational efficiencies that reduce future treatment costs.
BILL DESCRIPTION
The bill directs the Office of Emergency Medical Services in the Department of Health to develop a Statewide Emergency Medical Services Plan that provides for a comprehensive, coordinated emergency medical services system in the State. The plan may incorporate the use of regional emergency medical services plans tailored to the needs of designated regions in the State. Any regional plans will be jointly developed by county boards of health in the region, in consultation with local boards of health, and must be approved by the Office of Emergency Medical Services.
The Office of Emergency Medical Services will review and update the plan triennially and will implement any changes necessary to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the State’s emergency medical services system. The department will publish the plan on its website.
In developing and updating the plan, the Office of Emergency Medical Service will conduct an inventory of all emergency medical services resources available within the State, conduct an assessment of the current effectiveness of the emergency medical services system of care, determine the need for changes to the current emergency medical services system of care, develop performance metrics with regard to the delivery of emergency medical services and a method for monitoring whether those metrics are being achieved, and consult with emergency medical services agencies and organizations on applying for grants to support emergency medical services programs.
After development, the plan will establish a comprehensive statewide emergency medical services system that incorporates facilities, transportation, manpower, communications, and other components as integral parts of a unified system to improve the delivery of emergency medical services and reduce morbidity, hospitalization, disability, and mortality. This would include efforts to reduce the time between the identification of an acutely ill or injured patient and the provision of definitive treatment for that patient, the promotion of continuing improvement in system components, the provision of continuing education programs for personnel, and the establishment and maintenance of a process for crisis intervention and peer support services for medical services and public safety personnel.
In developing the plan, the Office of Emergency Medical Services will coordinate with the Emergency Medical Services for Children program and the State trauma medical director, both of which will revise any plans, programs, or requirements related to Office of Emergency Medical Services as necessary to conform to the plan.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
None received.
OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES
The OLS finds that annual State expenditures would increase under the bill by an indeterminate amount to develop, implement, and periodically revise the Statewide Emergency Medical Services Plan but notes that costs could rise into the millions of dollars annually over a multi-year period. The bill could substantially overhaul the delivery of emergency medical services in the State, which is now primarily delivered at the State and regional level. The annual costs to the State would depend on the plan that is developed by the Department of Health after conducting an inventory of the emergency medical services resources currently available, conducting an assessment of the current effectiveness of the system of care in the State, and consulting with different stakeholders throughout New Jersey. The OLS lacks the informational basis to conclude what the final plan would entail and what would be the associated costs.
To the extent that the Office of Emergency Medical Services determines that the plan should include the use of regional emergency medical services plans, which will be developed by county and local boards of health, county and municipal costs could increase.
The OLS notes that there is the potential for annual cost savings if the bill’s requirements were to cause positive health outcomes or result in operational efficiencies that reduce future treatment costs.
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Section: |
Human Services |
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Analyst: |
Senior Fiscal Analyst |
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Approved: |
Thomas Koenig Legislative Budget and Finance Officer |
This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.
This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).