Georgia 2025-2026 Regular Session

Georgia Senate Bill SB58 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		25 LC 39 4531
2	2		Senate Bill 58
3	3		By: Senators Albers of the 56th, Hufstetler of the 52nd, Kirkpatrick of the 32nd, Watson of
4	4		the 1st, Kennedy of the 18th and others
5		-	AS PASSED
	5	+	AS PASSED SENATE
6	6		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
7	7		AN ACT
8	8		To amend Chapter 11 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
9	9		1
10	10		emergency medical services, so as to provide for the licensing and operation of emergency2
11	11		organ transport vehicles as ambulance services; to provide for license application; to provide3
12	12		for insurance coverage requirements; to require compliance with rules and regulations of the4
13	13		Department of Public Health by such vehicles; to exempt emergency organ transport vehicles5
14	14		from requirements relative to the Emergency Medical Systems Communications (EMSC)6
15	15		Program and a medical adviser; to provide for the operation of such vehicles on public7
16	16		roadways; to amend Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to motor8
17	17		vehicles and traffic, so as to exempt emergency organ transport vehicles from those vehicles9
18	18		required to obtain an emergency vehicle permit from the Department of Public Safety; to10
19	19		revise and provide for definitions; to provide for a short title; to provide for related matters;11
20	20		to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.12
21	21		BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:13
22	22		SECTION 1.14
23	23		This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Georgia Transporting Life-Saving Organs15
24	24		and Personnel Act."16
25	25		S. B. 58
26	26		- 1 - 25 LC 39 4531
27	27		SECTION 2.
28	28		17
29	29		Chapter 11 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to emergency18
30	30		medical services, is amended in Code Section 31-11-2, relating to definitions, by revising19
31	31		paragraph (4) and by adding a new paragraph to read as follows:20
32	32		"(4) 'Ambulance service' means:21
33	33		(A) The providing of emergency care and transportation on the public streets and22
34	34		highways of this state for a wounded, injured, sick, invalid, or incapacitated human23
35	35		being to or from a place where medical or hospital care is furnished;24
36	36		(B) The provision of any air ambulance service; or
37	37		25
38	38		(C) The provision of transportation services on the public streets and highways of this26
39	39		state for the transport of necessary personnel, organs, tissue, or medical supplies to a27
40	40		time-critical organ transplant procedure; or28
41	41		(D) The provision of services specified in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of this29
42	42		paragraph."30
43	43		"(9.1) 'Emergency organ transplant vehicle' means a motor vehicle that is intended to be31
44	44		used for the transport of necessary personnel, organs, tissue, or medical supplies to a32
45	45		time-critical organ transplant procedure."33
46	46		SECTION 3.34
47	47		Said chapter is further amended in Code Section 31-11-3, relating to recommendations by35
48	48		local coordinating entity as to administration of EMSC Program and hearing and appeal, by36
49	49		revising subsection (g) as follows:37
50	50		"(g) This Code section shall not apply to air ambulances, or air ambulance services, or38
51	51		emergency organ transport vehicles."39
52	52		S. B. 58
53	53		- 2 - 25 LC 39 4531
54	54		SECTION 4.
55	55		40
56	56		Said chapter is further amended by revising Code Section 31-11-7, relating to exercise of41
57	57		emergency vehicle privileges by ambulance drivers, as follows:42
58	58		"31-11-7.43
59	59		(a)
60	60		The driver of an ambulance on the public streets, highways, and private access roads44
61	61		of this state, when responding to an emergency call or while transporting a patient, is shall45
62	62		be authorized to operate the ambulance as an emergency vehicle pursuant to Code Section46
63	63		40-6-6.47
64	64		(b) The driver of an emergency organ transport vehicle on the public streets, highways,48
65	65		and private access roads of this state, when transporting necessary personnel, organs,49
66	66		tissue, or medical supplies to a time-critical organ transplant procedure, shall be authorized50
67	67		to operate the emergency organ transport vehicle as an emergency vehicle pursuant to Code51
68	68		Section 40-6-6."52
69	69		SECTION 5.53
70	70		Said chapter is further amended in Code Section 31-11-31, relating to application for license,54
71	71		by revising paragraphs (4.1) and (5) and by adding a new paragraph to read as follows:55
72	72		"(4.1)(5) A description or photograph of each air ambulance, including the color scheme,56
73	73		insignia, name, monogram, or other distinguishing characteristics, to be used to designate57
74	74		the applicant's air ambulance or air ambulances; and58
75	75		(6) A description or photograph of each emergency organ transport vehicle, including59
76	76		the make, model, year of manufacture, and motor and chassis number; and the color60
77	77		scheme, insignia, name, monogram, or other distinguishing characteristics, to be used to61
78	78		designate the applicant's emergency organ transport vehicle or emergency organ transport62
79	79		vehicles; and63
80	80		(5)(7) The location and description of the place or places from which the ambulance64
81	81		service is intended to operate."65
82	82		S. B. 58
83	83		- 3 - 25 LC 39 4531
84	84		SECTION 6.
85	85		66
86	86		Said chapter is further amended by revising Code Section 31-11-33, relating to insurance67
87	87		coverage as condition of licensing, as follows:68
88	88		"31-11-33.69
89	89		(a) Every ambulance and emergency organ transport vehicle
90	90		operated on the streets,70
91	91		highways, and private access roads of this state by persons engaged in providing71
92	92		ambulance service shall have insurance coverage issued by an insurance company licensed72
93	93		to do business in this state providing at least the minimum coverage required for motor73
94	94		vehicles under Chapter 34 of Title 33; provided, however, that in the case of ambulances74
95	95		or emergency organ transport vehicles operated by the state, the coverage required shall be75
96	96		the same coverage required for other state vehicles under Chapter 9 of Title 45. Every air76
97	97		ambulance operated by persons engaged in providing air ambulance service in this state77
98	98		shall have insurance coverage as described in Code Section 33-7-9.78
99	99		(b) No ambulance or emergency organ transport vehicle shall be licensed nor shall any79
100	100		license be renewed unless the ambulance or emergency organ transport vehicle has80
101	101		insurance coverage in force as required by this Code section. A certificate of insurance81
102	102		shall be submitted to the license officer for approval prior to the issuance or renewal of82
103	103		each ambulance license and emergency organ transport vehicle license. Satisfactory83
104	104		evidence that such insurance is at all times in force and effect shall be furnished to the84
105	105		license officer, in such form as he or she may specify, by all licensees required to provide85
106	106		such insurance under this Code section.86
107	107		(c) This Code section shall apply to all ambulances and emergency organ transport87
108	108		vehicles, whether privately operated or operated by any political subdivision of the state88
109	109		or any municipality thereof.89
110	110		(d) This Code section shall not apply to first responders, which do not transport patients,90
111	111		operated by municipalities or counties that have not elected to waive their governmental91
112	112		immunity by purchasing vehicle liability insurance pursuant to Code Section 33-24-51."92
113	113		S. B. 58
114	114		- 4 - 25 LC 39 4531
115	115		SECTION 7.
116	116		93
117	117		Said chapter is further amended by revising Code Section 31-11-34, relating to standards for94
118	118		ambulances, as follows:95
119	119		"31-11-34.96
120	120		Ambulances and emergency organ transport vehicles
121	121		operated by persons engaged in97
122	122		providing ambulance service shall meet all standards as set forth in the department's rules98
123	123		and regulations."99
124	124		SECTION 8.100
125	125		Said chapter is further amended in Code Section 31-11-50, relating to medical adviser, by101
126	126		revising subsection (c) as follows:102
127	127		"(c) This Code section shall not apply to any ambulance service which solely provides103
128	128		transportation for necessary personnel, organs, tissue, or medical supplies to a time-critical104
129	129		organ transplant procedure by emergency organ transport vehicles or any county having105
130	130		a population under 12,000 according to the United States decennial census of 1970 or any106
131	131		such future census."107
132	132		SECTION 9.108
133	133		Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to motor vehicles and traffic, is109
134	134		amended in Code Section 40-1-1, relating to definitions, by revising paragraph (5) as110
135	135		follows:111
136	136		"(5) 'Authorized emergency vehicle' means a motor vehicle belonging to a public utility112
137	137		corporation or operated by the Department of Transportation and designated as an113
138	138		emergency vehicle by the Department of Public Safety; a motor vehicle belonging to a114
139	139		fire department or a certified private vehicle belonging to a volunteer firefighter or a115
140	140		fire-fighting association, partnership, or corporation; an emergency organ transplant116
141	141		vehicle as such term is defined in Code Section 31-11-2; an ambulance; or a motor117
142	142		S. B. 58
143	143		- 5 - 25 LC 39 4531
144	144		vehicle belonging to a federal, state, or local law enforcement agency, provided such
145	145		118
146	146		vehicle is in use as an emergency vehicle by one authorized to use it for that purpose."119
147	147		SECTION 10.120
148	148		Said title is further amended in Code Section 40-8-92, relating to designation of emergency121
149	149		vehicles, flashing or revolving lights, permits, fee, and use of flashing or revolving green122
150	150		lights on public property, by revising subsection (a) as follows:123
151	151		"(a) The
152	152		All emergency vehicles shall be designated as such by the commissioner of public124
153	153		safety shall be authorized to designate certain motor vehicles as emergency vehicles. The125
154	154		commissioner of public safety shall so designate each vehicle by issuing to such vehicle126
155	155		a permit to operate flashing or revolving emergency lights of the appropriate color. Such127
156	156		permit shall be valid for five years from the date of issuance. Any and all officially marked128
157	157		law enforcement vehicles as specified in Code Section 40-8-91 shall not be required to129
158	158		have a permit for the use of a blue light. Any and all fire department vehicles which are130
159	159		distinctly marked on each side shall not be required to have a permit for the use of a red131
160	160		light. Any and all ambulances motor vehicles which are operated for ambulance services,132
161	161		as defined in Code Section 31-11-2, licensed by this state under a valid license from the133
162	162		Emergency Health Section of the Department of Public Health shall not be required to have134
163	163		a permit for the use of a red light."135
164	164		SECTION 11.136
165	165		All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.137
166	166		S. B. 58
167	167		- 6 -