Arkansas 2025 Regular Session

Arkansas House Bill HB1285 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
2		-	Act 856 of the Regular Session
3		-	ANS033 03-10-2025 10:37:58 ANS033
4		-
5		-	State of Arkansas As Engrossed: H2/20/25 H3/10/25 1
	2	+	ANS033 01/28/2025 4:33:16 PM ANS033
	3	+	State of Arkansas 1
6	4		95th General Assembly A Bill 2
7	5		Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1285 3
8	6		4
9	7		By: Representative L. Johnson 5
10		-	~~By: Senator J. Boyd~~ 6
	8	+	6
11	9		7
12	10		For An Act To Be Entitled 8
13	11		AN ACT TO ESTABLISH AN EXEMPTION PROGRAM FOR 9
14	12		AMBULANCE SERVICE'S OPERATORS FOR CERTAIN HEALTHCARE 10
15	13		SERVICES; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 11
16	14		12
17	15		13
18	16		Subtitle 14
19	17		TO ESTABLISH AN EXEMPTION PROGRAM FOR 15
20	18		AMBULANCE SERVICE'S OPERATORS FOR 16
21	19		CERTAIN HEALTHCARE SERVICES. 17
22	20		18
23	21		BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 19
24	22		20
25	23		SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 20 -13-108(b), concerning the triage, treat, 21
26	24		and transport to alternative destination by an ambulance service operator, is 22
27	25		amended to read as follows: 23
28	26		(b) An Except as provided under subsection (c) of this section, an 24
29	27		ambulance service's operators may triage and transport a patient to an 25
30	28		alternative destination in this state or treat in place if the ambulance 26
31	29		service is coordinating the care of the patient through telemedicine with a 27
32	30		physician for a medical -based complaint or with a behavioral health 28
33	31		specialist for a behavioral -based complaint. 29
34	32		30
35	33		SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 20 -13-108, concerning the triage, treat, 31
36	34		and transport to alternative destination by ambulance service operators, is 32
37	35		amended to add an additional subsection to read as follows: 33
38		-	(c)(1) The ~~Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council~~ shall ~~develop~~ a 34
39		-	~~set of protocols~~ for ~~9 -1-1 emergency medical situations that are exempt from~~ 35
40		-	the telemedicine requirement under subsection (b) of ~~this section by rule.~~ 36 ~~As Engrossed: H2/20/25 H3/10/25~~ HB1285
	36	+	(c)(1) The department shall by rule establish a procedure in which an 34
	37	+	ambulance service's operator may apply for an exemption for certain 35
	38	+	healthcare services from the telemedicine requirement under subsection (b) of 36 HB1285
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43		-
44		-
45		-	(2) An ambulance service may: 1
46		-	(A) Adopt one (1) or more of the protocols developed under 2
47		-	subdivision (c)(1) of this section with the approval of the medical director 3
48		-	of the ambulance service; and 4
49		-	(B) Request that the council approve additional protocols 5
50		-	for 9-1-1 emergency medical situations to be exempt from the telemedicine 6
51		-	requirement under subsection (b) of this section. 7
52		-	(3) The council shall review annually all protocols exempted 8
53		-	from the telemedicine requirement developed under subdivision (c)(1) of this 9
54		-	section. 10
55		-	11
56		-	/s/L. Johnson 12
57		-	13
58		-	14
59		-	APPROVED: 4/17/25 15
60		-	16
	40	+	2 01/28/2025 4:33:16 PM ANS033
	41	+	this section on the basis that the healthcare service does not necessitate 1
	42	+	coordination of care of the patient through telemedicine. 2
	43	+	(2) The department shall establish the criteria to be used in 3
	44	+	determining whether or not a healthcare service is exempt under subdivision 4
	45	+	(c)(1) of this section. 5
	46	+	(3)(A) An ambulance service's operator may apply for an 6
	47	+	exemption for a certain healthcare service under subdivision (c)(1) of this 7
	48	+	section on forms prescribed by the department. 8
	49	+	(B) A separate application shall be filed for each: 9
	50	+	(i) Each Healthcare service for which the ambulance 10
	51	+	service's operator seeks an exemption; and 11
	52	+	(ii) Each application shall contain information on 12
	53	+	which the ambulance service's operator relies to justify an exemption. 13
	54	+	(4) Upon making a determination on an application for exemption, 14
	55	+	the department shall notify the ambulance service's operator of the 15
	56	+	department's determination. 16
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72		-	28
	58	+	SECTION 3. DO NOT CODIFY. Rules. 18
	59	+	(a) When adopting the initial rules required under this act, the 19
	60	+	Department of Health shall file the final rules with the Secretary of State 20
	61	+	for adoption under § 25 -15-204(f): 21
	62	+	(1) On or before January 1, 2026; or 22
	63	+	(2) If approval under § 10 -3-309 has not occurred by January 1, 23
	64	+	2026, as soon as practicable after approval under § 10 -3-309. 24
	65	+	(b) The department shall file the proposed rules with the Legislative 25
	66	+	Council under § 10-3-309(c) sufficiently in advance of January 1, 2026, so 26
	67	+	that the Legislative Council may consider the rules for approval before 27
	68	+	January 1, 2026. 28
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