LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE

[First Reprint]

SENATE, No. 3007

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

 

DATED: JUNE 11, 2026

 

 

SUMMARY

 

Synopsis:

Provides for licensure of emergency medical responders and emergency medical technicians and certification of mobility assistance vehicle operators; revises requirements for delivery of emergency medical and patient transportation services.

Type of Impact:

Annual State expenditure and revenue increases; potential expenditure increase to certain local entities.

Agencies Affected:

Department of Health, Department of Law and Public Safety, University Hospital, Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, local governments.

 

 

Office of Legislative Services Estimate

Fiscal Impact

Annual

 

State Expenditure Increase

Indeterminate

 

State Revenue Increase

Indeterminate

 

Potential Expenditure Increase for Certain Local Entities, University Hospital, and Bergen New Bridge Medical Center

Indeterminate

 

 

·         The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) concludes that the Department of Health would incur indeterminate annual expenses to administer the provisions of the bill as they relate to the licensure of emergency medical responders and emergency medical technicians, and the certification of mobility assistance vehicle operators.  To the extent that the department’s existing administration of the State’s emergency medical services meets the bill’s provisions or can be used to support the bill’s provisions, costs incurred by the department would be minimized. 

·         Additionally, the department would experience an indeterminate increase in revenue from the monetary penalties authorized under the bill.  It is also possible that State revenues may increase as the result of the department establishing new licensure or certification fees.

·         The Department of Law and Public Safety will also incur annual indeterminate costs from the background checks required under the bill.  The bill authorizes the Department of Health to have the cost of the background checks paid by the candidate, which would increase State revenues and offset the costs of providing the background checks.

·         The effects of the various changes under the bill may lead to indeterminate cost increases for entities that operate emergency medical services programs, which includes certain local municipalities; University Hospital, an independent non-profit legal entity that is an instrumentality of the State located in Newark; and Bergen New Bridge Medical Center (formerly the Bergen Regional Medical Center), a county-owned entity in Paramus. 

 

 

BILL DESCRIPTION

 

      The bill directs the Department of Health to establish written standards and application procedures for the licensure of emergency medical technicians and emergency medical responders, including standards for licensure by reciprocity, and the certification of mobility assistance vehicle operators.  The department may issue a formal written warning, impose a monetary penalty, place on probation, suspend, revoke, or refuse to issue or renew the license of any mobile intensive care paramedic, emergency medical technician or responder, or the certification of any mobility assistance vehicle operators, for violation of any of the rules adopted by the department pursuant to the bill. 

      The bill prohibits a person from impersonating a licensed emergency medical technician or emergency medical responder or certified mobility assistance vehicle operator and provides certain immunity from civil damages.

      The department may require a candidate for an emergency medical technician or emergency  medical responder license or mobility assistance vehicle operator certification to bear the costs of the criminal history record background check as may be deemed necessary by the department.

      The bill provides the department with the authority to summarily suspend a person's mobile intensive care paramedic, emergency medical technician, or emergency medical responder license or mobility assistance vehicle operator certification when the continued licensure or certification of that person poses an immediate or serious threat to the public health, safety, or welfare. 

The bill directs the department to establish staffing requirements for various emergency medical services units and requires all crewmembers to hold the appropriate license or certification.

      The bill requires each mobility assistance vehicle service provider, specialty care transport unit, and basic life support unit used for medical transportation to complete and submit to the department an electronic patient care report for each patient encounter in which the patient received health care transportation services.  The department will develop and maintain an electronic record of the patient data reported and will make such non-identifying patient data available for research purposes.

      The bill requires each hospital transfer center in the State to provide data concerning patient referrals and transfers, upon request by the department, in such form and manner as may be necessary to protect against the disclosure of any confidential or personal identifying information.

      The bill requires the department, at such times as the department has collected the data required pursuant to the bill for a period of 12 months, to conduct a study on the quality of emergency medical services care and workforce in the State and to prepare and submit a written report to the Governor and Legislature.  The bill also establishes certain penalties for the violation of certain laws.

FISCAL ANALYSIS

 

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

 

      None received.

 

OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES

 

      The OLS concludes that the Department of Health would incur indeterminate annual expenses to administer the provisions of the bill as they relate to licensure of emergency medical responders and emergency medical technicians, and the certification of mobility assistance vehicle operators.  Additionally, the department would experience an indeterminate increase in revenue from the monetary penalties authorized under the bill.  Among other things, the bill establishes a penalty of $200 for the first offense and $500 for each subsequent offense of provisions found within the State’s emergency medical services statutes.

      Currently, the Office of Emergency Medical Services within the department regulates, licenses, and oversees the State's pre-hospital emergency medical care.  The office’s Provider Licensing and Learning Management System serves as the platform for maintaining all New Jersey emergency medical services clinical licenses and certifications, under which the department presently certifies emergency medical technicians and licenses mobility assistance vehicle service providers (the companies, not the vehicle operators themselves).  The OLS notes that emergency medical responders do not currently have a State-administered process for licensure. To the extent that the department’s existing administration of the State’s emergency medical services meets the bill’s provisions or can be used to support the bill’s provisions, costs incurred by the department would be minimized. 

      The OLS concludes that the department may incur costs under the bill for the following:  processing applications for and issuing licenses for emergency medical responders; establishing written standards and application procedures for emergency medical responders; maintaining applicant registrations for emergency medical technicians, emergency medical responders, and mobility assistance vehicle operators; conducting a study on the quality of emergency medical services care and the workforce; establishing crewmember minimum staffing requirements; establishing reciprocity agreements with other states; and implementing and administering patient care reports, as expanded under the bill’s provisions and submitted to the department by various emergency medical services entities.   

      The OLS notes that the Department of Law and Public Safety will also incur annual indeterminate costs from the background checks required under the bill.  The bill authorizes the Department of Health to have the cost of the background checks paid by the candidate, which would increase State revenues and offset the costs of providing the background checks.

            The effects of the various changes under the bill may lead to indeterminate cost increases for entities that operate emergency medical services programs, which includes certain local municipalities; University Hospital, an independent non-profit legal entity that is an instrumentality of the State located in Newark; and Bergen New Bridge Medical Center (formerly the Bergen Regional Medical Center), a county-owned entity in Paramus.  These entities may incur costs under the bill for the following:  preparing and submitting patient care reports, as expanded under the bill’s provisions, to the department; complying with crew member minimum staffing requirements, established by the department under the bill; submitting data to the department concerning patient referrals and transfers; and paying for penalties and fines established under the bill.

Section:

Human Services

Analyst:

Sarah Schmidt

Principal Research Analyst

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.).