11/20/2022: PENDING NEW JERSEY LEGISLATION OF INTEREST TO EMS:
S3241legiscan.com/NJ/bill/S3241/2022 - Extends temporary waiver of certain Basic Life Support services crewmember requirements. (Would extend the expiration date to 01/01/2024). Status: Released from Senate Health on 2nd Reading in the Senate on 10/31/22. This bill is on the Senate Board list for Monday for a full vote in the Senate. There is no Assembly sponsor for this bill yet.
S2946/A4505 - Establishes minimum Medicaid reimbursement rate of $200 for basic life support emergency ambulance transportation services. Status: Released from Senate Health Committee and referred to Senate Budget & Appropriations Committee on 10/31/22.
SJR23 - Designates October of each year as "First Responders Appreciation Month." Status: Signed by Governor on 10/31/22.
S461/A831 - provides for reciprocity for out of State EMT certifications. This bill is on the Senate Board list for Monday for a full vote in the Senate.
A4777- streamlines certification standards for emergency medical technicians. In Assembly Health Committee. There is no Senate sponsor for this bill yet.
S2562/A4576 – (the new Staffing) Law which passed and was signed into law last year requires 2 EMTs for any 9-1-1 dispatched BLS ambulance that is State licensed; this bill will authorizes certain BLS service vehicles (a work-around for our hybrid squads) to be staffed by one EMT and one first responder. In the Senate Health Committee on 5/12/22.
S399/A3146 – increases municipal donation limits to volunteer EMS agencies; passed in both houses and went to the Governor for signature. This became law this year – P.L.2022, c.12.
S2223/A3772 – introduced by Senator Oroho in the Senate and by Assemblymen Mukherji and Stanley in the Assembly, which revises and redefines volunteer eligibility for the EMT Training Fund. In the Senate Health Committee on 3/7/22.
A4107/S2768 – which makes various changes concerning regulation of emergency medical services; establishes mobile integrated health program and new State Emergency Medical Services Director in DOH was discussed at the September BOT meeting; it was conditionally vetoed by the Governor and is up for consideration in the Assembly on October 3rd. The vote will be to determine whether the General Assembly will concur with the Governor’s changes. Passed in both houses. Signed into law - P.L.2022, c.118.
A1258 – increases the volunteer tuition credit limits for. There is no Senate sponsor for this bill yet. Still in Assembly Higher Education Committee since 1/11/22.
Federal bill – HR-8994 - was introduced in the House of Representatives by NJ Congressman Anthony Kim on September 28th and is supported by Congressional Representatives from several states. It provides for $50 million each year for 5 years for grants for public, private and non-profit EMS organizations. Please contact your Federal Congressional representatives to support this bill.
S2253 was signed into law by Governor Murphy in September of this year which dramatically lowers the costs that hospitals and physicians can charge for providing copies of medical records, which can sometimes be hundreds to thousands of pages long! The Law can be found here: https://pub.njleg.state.nj.us/Bills/2022/PL22/114_.PDF. This law does NOT affect us! But I have had some questions about it so I wanted to include it for your knowledge.