HB213ENROLLED
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5LJ8M3-3
By Representative Lovvorn
RFD: Ways and Means Education
First Read: 23-Mar-23
2023 Regular Session
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Enrolled, An Act,
Relating to the Volunteer Rescue Squad Tuition
Reimbursement Act of 2018; to amend Sections 22-18-60,
22-18-61, 22-18-63, and 22-18-64, Code of Alabama 1975, to
decrease the required contracted for service time after
graduation and licensing from three years to two years; to
expand the program to include students who contract and
provide service to ambulance services; to provide exclusions
from reimbursement; and to increase the amount of operational
expenses reimbursed to the Alabama Community College System;
and to add Section 22-18-61.1 to the Code of Alabama 1975, to
provide for the retroactive reimbursement of certain fees and
expenses.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. Sections 22-18-60, 22-18-61, 22-18-63, and
22-18-64 of the Code of Alabama 1975, are amended to read as
follows:
"§22-18-60
For the purposes of this article, the following terms
shall have the following meanings:
(1) ACCS. The Alabama Community College System.
(2) AMBULANCE SERVICE. An ambulance service located in
this state which is a member of the Alabama Association of
Ambulance Services.
(2)(3) ASSOCIATIONS. The Alabama Association of Rescue
Squads or, the Alabama Association of Volunteer Fire
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Departments, or the Alabama Association of Ambulance Services .
(3)(4) EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PERSONNEL (EMSP). All
recognized levels of personnel licensed by the Alabama
Department of Public Health, who have met all primary and/or
or renewal educational requirements , or both, set by the
Alabama Department of Public Health, and who are allowed to
provide medical care within the level of their scope of
practice granted by the Office of Emergency Medical Services
(OEMS) within the Alabama Department of Public Health.
(4)(5) FIRE COLLEGE. The Alabama Fire College.
(5)(6) STUDENT. A student enrolled in an emergency
medical services certification program at a member institution
of the Alabama Community College System ACCS, the Alabama Fire
College fire college, or the University of South Alabama.
(7) TUITION COSTS. Includes the actual cost of tuition
and fees required to complete an approved course of
instruction for EMSP certification, as determined by each
eligible educational institution.
(6)(8) VOLUNTEER RESCUE SQUAD. A volunteer rescue squad
located in the State of Alabama and is a member of the Alabama
Association of Rescue Squads.
(7)(9) VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT. A volunteer fire
department located in the State of Alabama and is a member of
the Alabama Association of Volunteer Fire Departments this
state."
"§22-18-61
(a) The Alabama Community College System ACCS, the
Alabama Fire College fire college, and the University of South
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Alabama, in consultation with the associations, shall jointly
develop and administer a student tuition reimbursement program
for students that agree in the form of an enforceable who
contract agreement, to provide two years of emergency medical
services for volunteer rescue squads or, volunteer fire
departments in Alabama, or ambulance services after becoming a
licensed EMSP subject to the student agreeing to provide three
years of service to a volunteer rescue squad or volunteer fire
department.
(b)(1) Tuition reimbursement under this article shall
be the actual cover tuition costs paid by the student
associated with obtaining certification or the volunteer
rescue squad, volunteer fire department, ambulance service, or
an association on behalf of the student of which the student
is a member. Tuition paid by the volunteer rescue squad,
volunteer fire department, ambulance service, or association
shall be reimbursed directly to the volunteer rescue squad,
volunteer fire department, ambulance service, or association .
(2) Tuition reimbursement under this article shall not
include any tuition costs covered by grants or other monetary
awards provided to a student including, but not limited to,
federal education grants and scholarships, as determined by
the ACCS.
(3) Tuition costs shall not be reimbursed until the
student provides ACCS and the associations with documentation
that he or she has successfully completed the approved course
of instruction, proof of passing the certification exam,
production of a valid EMSP license from the Alabama Department
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of Public Health and a contractual agreement to comply with
the service requirements.
(c) In the event that a tuition reimbursement recipient
fails to meet the service requirements for any reason other
than extreme hardship as defined within the joint agreement
required in Section 22-18-64(b), the individual shall be
deemed to have breached the underlying contract and shall be
liable in the form of monetary damages to the state for the
immediate repayment of the total tuition amount costs
reimbursed, plus interest at the rate of eight percent. The
associations shall notify ACCS of recipients who fail to meet
the service requirements.
(d) Beginning with the 2023-2024 fiscal year, the
amount of tuition reimbursement available to students shall be
divided among volunteer fire departments, rescue squads, and
ambulance services based on available appropriations. The ACCS
shall create operational procedures to ensure that funds and
volunteer service commitments are split equitably among
volunteer fire departments, rescue squads, and ambulance
services. Notwithstanding the foregoing, priority shall be
given to volunteer fire departments, rescue squads, and
nonprofit ambulance services. "
"§22-18-63
(a) The tuition reimbursement program is subject to
direct appropriations from the Education Trust Fund.
(b) Any monies appropriated for the program that are
unexpended at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert, but
shall be carried forward for use of the program in the next
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fiscal year.
(c) Beginning in the 2024-2025 fiscal year, any
unexpended funds in excess of five hundred thousand dollars
($500,000) shall be transferred to the fire college to provide
emergency medical services equipment and operations grants to
volunteer fire departments and rescue squads. Grants shall be
approved by the Alabama Joint Fire Council. "
"§22-18-64
(a) The ACCS shall annually report on the condition and
accomplishments of the tuition reimbursement program to the
Governor, Speaker of the House of Representatives, President
Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Chair of the House Ways and
Means Education Committee, the Chair of the Senate Finance and
Taxation Education Committee, and the Deputy Director of the
Legislative Services Agency, Fiscal Division. The report shall
include the number of students participating in the program
and the amount of tuition reimbursed for the reporting year.
The member institutions of the ACCS, the Fire College fire
college, and the University of South Alabama shall provide
this information to ACCS for inclusion in the annual report.
The report shall be submitted by the fifth legislative day of
each regular session of the Legislature.
(b) The ACCS, the Fire College fire college, and the
University of South Alabama shall enter into a joint agreement
to implement and administer the tuition reimbursement program,
which shall include provisions for ensuring that operational
expenses for the program in a fiscal year do not exceed two 10
percent of the funding for the program in that fiscal year.
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The joint agreement shall provide for limiting the acceptance
of applications for the program or limiting tuition
reimbursements when necessary, or both.
(c) Any monies received for the operations of the
tuition reimbursement program, including repayments, interest,
and penalties paid because of failure to honor service
requirements, shall be used to fund tuition reimbursements."
Section 2. Section 22-18-61.1 is added to the Code of
Alabama 1975, to read as follows:
§22-18-61.1
Upon written request by an association or a member of
an association, the ACCS may retroactively consider
reimbursement of actual tuition costs, excluding required
fees, provided by the association or its members to a student
to pay his or her eligible tuition costs.
Section 3. Section 1 of this act shall become effective
on the first day of the third month following its passage and
approval by the Governor, or its otherwise becoming law.
Section 2 of this act shall become effective immediately
following its passage and approval by the Governor, or its
otherwise becoming law.
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________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Representatives
________________________________________________
President and Presiding Officer of the Senate
House of Representatives
I hereby certify that the within Act originated in and
was passed by the House 02-May-23, as amended.
John Treadwell
Clerk
Senate 24-May-23 Passed
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