SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1905        FILED ON: 2/18/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1473

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Joan B. Lovely

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act governing the operation of ambulance services by not-for-profit hospital systems or services.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1905        FILED ON: 2/18/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1473

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 1356 OF 2019-2020.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

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An Act governing the operation of ambulance services by not-for-profit hospital systems or services.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of any regulation, rule or law to the contrary, any not-for-profit acute care hospital system or service or provider licensed under Chapter 111 of the General Laws shall comply with Chapter 111C, Chapter 154 of the Acts of 2003 and Chapter 54 of the Acts of 2000, respectively, in order to administer and operate an emergency or non-emergent medical transport service, so-called, in the Commonwealth; provided, that if any such not-for-profit hospital system or service licensed under said Chapter 111 is awarded a 911 contract, so-called, by a municipality, such not-for-profit hospital system or service shall contribute a minimum of 33% of the gross ambulance receipts toward the cost of such municipality’s fire-based service in order to enhance the public-safety infrastructure and fire-based services of a municipality; provided further, that if a not-for-profit hospital system or service licensed under said Chapter 111 is awarded a 911 contract, so-called, by a municipality, the not-for-profit hospital system or service shall pay no less than 50% of the cost to operate the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), so-called, in order to support the dispatching of 911 services in such municipality; provided further, that any acute care hospital operating an emergency or non-emergent medical transport service prior to this law shall comply with the provisions of this act. The department of public health shall promulgate regulations to administer the provisions of this section not later than 30 days after the enactment of this law.