Bill Text: NY S03503 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Amended

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Bill Title: Authorizes the department of health to establish the New York state rural ambulance services task force; requires such task force to conduct a study on the unique challenges faced by New York state ambulance services in rural areas.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2021-12-22 - APPROVAL MEMO.134 [S03503 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-S03503-Amended.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         3503--C

                               2021-2022 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                    January 29, 2021
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen. HINCHEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Govern-
          ment  Operations  --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,   ordered
          reprinted  as  amended  and recommitted to said committee -- committee
          discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
          to said committee  --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,  ordered
          reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

        AN  ACT  establishing  the  New York state rural ambulance services task
          force; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration
          thereof

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1. 1. The department of health is hereby authorized to estab-
     2  lish the New York state rural ambulance services task force  within  the
     3  bureau  of  emergency  medical  services  to  examine, evaluate and make
     4  recommendations concerning New York state ambulance  services  in  rural
     5  areas.
     6    2.  (a)  Such task force shall be comprised of individuals with exper-
     7  tise in providing emergency medical services  and/or  providing  medical
     8  services in rural areas. The members shall be appointed as follows:
     9    (i) two members appointed by the governor;
    10    (ii) two members appointed by the temporary president of the senate;
    11    (iii) two members appointed by the speaker of the assembly;
    12    (iv) one member appointed by the minority leader of the senate;
    13    (v) one member appointed by the minority leader of the assembly;
    14    (vi)  two  members  appointed  by  the  office  of fire prevention and
    15  control; and
    16    (vii) two  members  appointed  by  the  bureau  of  emergency  medical
    17  services.
    18    (b) One of the appointments by the governor shall serve as chairperson
    19  of the task force.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD04499-07-1
        S. 3503--C                          2

     1    (c)  The  members  of the task force shall serve for two years, or for
     2  the existence of the task force, whichever  is  shorter.  Members  shall
     3  receive  no  compensation for their services, but shall be allowed their
     4  actual and necessary expenses  incurred  in  the  performance  of  their
     5  services.
     6    (d)  The  task  force  may  collect and shall be provided all relevant
     7  information necessary to carry out its functions from any relevant agen-
     8  cy. Members of the task force shall keep any information received in the
     9  course of their duties confidential and shall only use such  information
    10  in the course of carrying out their duties on the task force.
    11    3.  Such task force shall conduct a study on the availability of ambu-
    12  lance services in rural areas, with a particular  focus  on  the  unique
    13  challenges  they  face  and their ability to provide services. Utilizing
    14  information obtained from such study, the task force  shall  report  and
    15  provide  recommendations  in  accordance  with  subdivision four of this
    16  section, which shall include, but not be limited to the following:
    17    (a) an analysis of the total number of ambulance services available in
    18  rural areas of the state, provided by service type and geographic region
    19  they serve and compared to the documented need for such services;
    20    (b) assessing current reimbursement structures in place for  ambulance
    21  services  as  well as various methods to fund or otherwise raise revenue
    22  for such services;
    23    (c) assessing barriers that currently exist that may  have  led  to  a
    24  shortage of available ambulance services to meet the need; and
    25    (d) studying any other issue such task force deems relevant.
    26    4. Within twelve months of the effective date of this act, the depart-
    27  ment of health shall submit a report detailing the findings of the study
    28  to  the governor, the temporary president of the senate, and the speaker
    29  of the assembly.
    30    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall  expire  and  be
    31  deemed repealed 2 years after such effective date.