Florida Senate - 2022 SB 502 By Senator Rodriguez 39-00612A-22 2022502__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to certificates of public convenience 3 and necessity; amending s. 401.25, F.S.; requiring 4 certain counties to issue a certificate of public 5 convenience and necessity to applicants seeking 6 licensure for basic or advanced life support services 7 which meet specified criteria; providing an exception; 8 providing an effective date. 9 10 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 11 12 Section 1.Paragraph (d) of subsection (2) of section 13 401.25, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 14 401.25Licensure as a basic life support or an advanced 15 life support service. 16 (2)The department shall issue a license for operation to 17 any applicant who complies with the following requirements: 18 (d)The applicant has obtained a certificate of public 19 convenience and necessity from each county in which the 20 applicant will operate. In issuing the certificate of public 21 convenience and necessity, the governing body of each county 22 shall consider the recommendations of municipalities within its 23 jurisdiction. 24 1.An applicant that is an active first responder agency is 25 exempt from this requirement if it: 26 a.1.Is a faith-based, not-for-profit charitable 27 corporation registered under chapter 617 which has been 28 responding to medical emergencies in this state for at least 10 29 consecutive years. 30 b.2.Is not a parent, subsidiary, or affiliate of, or 31 related to, any for-profit entity. 32 c.3.Provides basic life support services or advanced life 33 support services solely through at least 50 unpaid licensed 34 emergency medical technician or paramedic volunteers. 35 d.4.Is not operating for pecuniary profit or financial 36 gain. 37 e.5.Does not distribute to or inure to the benefit of its 38 directors, members, or officers any part of its assets or 39 income. 40 f.6.Does not receive any government funding. However, the 41 volunteer ambulance service may receive funding from specialty 42 license plate proceeds. 43 g.7.Has never had a license denied, revoked, or suspended. 44 h.8.Provides services free of charge. 45 i.9.As part of its application for licensure, provides to 46 the department a management plan that includes a training 47 program, dispatch protocols, a complaint management system, an 48 accident or injury handling system, a quality assurance program, 49 and proof of adequate insurance coverage to meet state or county 50 insurance requirements, whichever requirements are greater. 51 j.10.Provides a disclaimer on all written materials that 52 the volunteer ambulance service is not associated with the 53 states 911 system. 54 55 The exemption under this subparagraph paragraph may be granted 56 to no more than four counties. This exemption notwithstanding, 57 an applicant is not exempted from and must comply with all other 58 requirements for licensure. An applicant must also take all 59 reasonable efforts to enter into a memorandum of understanding 60 with the emergency medical services licensee within whose 61 jurisdiction the applicant will provide services in order to 62 facilitate communications and coordinate emergency services for 63 situations beyond the scope of the applicants capacity and for 64 situations of advanced life support which that are deemed 65 priority 1 or priority 2 emergencies. 66 2.A county that has a population exceeding 1 million must 67 issue a certificate of public convenience and necessity to any 68 applicant if the applicant has been operating in this state for 69 10 years and has a certificate of public convenience and 70 necessity from at least three other counties in this state. This 71 subparagraph does not apply to a county operating under a home 72 rule charter adopted pursuant to s. 10, s. 11, or s. 24, Art. 73 VIII of the State Constitution of 1885, as preserved by 74 paragraph 6(e), Art. VIII of the State Constitution of 1968. 75 Section 2.This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.