24 LC 33 9713S
The House Committee on Health offers the following substitute to SB 515:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 11 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to1
general provisions regarding emergency medical services, so as to provide for a two-year2
pilot program to provide additional ambulances to certain areas of this state; to provide for3
definitions; to provide for eligibility; to provide for acquisition of the ambulances; to provide4
for termination of the pilot program and automatic repeal of the statute; to provide for related5
matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.6
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:7
SECTION 1.8
Chapter 11 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general9
provisions regarding emergency medical services, is amended by adding a new Code section10
to read as follows:11
"31-11-13.12
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:13
(1) 'Ambulance' means a motor vehicle that is specially constructed and equipped and14
is intended to be used for the emergency transportation of patients.15
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(2) 'Region' means a geographical district designated by the department as the local16
coordinating entity in accord with Code Section 31-11-3 that administers the EMSC17
program for each health district designated by the department.18
(b) The department shall establish a pilot program to be developed and implemented by19
the Georgia Trauma Care Network Commission and the State Office of EMS and Trauma,20
in collaboration with the Region 2 Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council and the21
Region 8 Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council, during Fiscal Years 2025 and22
2026.23
(c) Such pilot program shall provide for the procurement and operation of four24
ambulances, of which:25
(1) One unit shall be dedicated to an air ambulance crew for the purpose of additional26
response to the air ambulance or to allow such crew to respond in the event they are27
unable to fly;28
(2) One shall be dedicated primarily to time sensitive emergent inter-facility transfers;29
and30
(3) One shall be assigned to Region 2 and one shall be assigned to Region 8. The31
primary use of each ambulance shall be to support coverage for counties that dispatch32
ambulances on extended time sensitive emergent patient transfers.33
Each ambulance shall also be used for other relief measures including nonemergency34
transfers, ensuring critical and specialty care transports are completed and other priorities35
established during the pilot program.36
(d) No later than December 1, 2024, the department shall release a request for proposals37
on the Georgia Procurement Registry, pursuant to subsection (b) of Code Section 50-5-69,38
to identify one or more ambulance providers to fulfill the pilot program.39
(e) The directors of Region 2 and Region 8 shall each submit monthly a detailed written40
report to the Georgia Trauma Care Network Commission and the State Office of EMS and41
Trauma. Such reports shall contain information on the implementation and effectiveness42
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of the additional ambulances on the regions' emergency medical services system, including,43
but not limited to, data relative to the activity and usage of the ambulances and the impact44
on service delivery. Such reports shall be submitted on the fifteenth day of the month45
following the first full month of service of the ambulance provided to such region under46
this pilot program.47
(f) The pilot program created by this Code section shall terminate two years after the pilot48
program's start date and this Code section shall be repealed by operation of law on June 30,49
2028.50
(g) The pilot program created by this Code section is subject to appropriation."51
SECTION 2.52
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.53
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