Ambulance service districts; designating licensed ambulance services as essential service; requiring county governing body to ensure availability of ambulance service. Emergency.
The bill mandates counties to appropriate necessary revenue for ambulance services when such services cannot be provided by other means. Additionally, counties that are categorized as public ambulance service districts will be considered compliant with this requirement by default. This legislative initiative seeks to enhance public health responses by ensuring that each county is adequately served by licensed ambulance services.
Senate Bill 718 aims to designate licensed ambulance services as essential services in Oklahoma. The bill requires that each county's governing body ensure the availability of at least one licensed ambulance service within their jurisdiction. Additionally, if the county has organized a public ambulance service district under the Ambulance Service Districts Act, the board of directors for that district is granted authority to ensure the provision of ambulance services within the district.
A notable point in the bill is that it prohibits municipalities from providing, maintaining, licensing, or contracting for ambulance services within counties that have established a public ambulance service district, unless a contract exists with the district’s board of directors. This aspect could lead to contention between municipalities and county authorities over ambulance service provision and funding, particularly in areas where municipal services are more readily available.