Sixty-ninth Legislative Assembly of North Dakota
In Regular Session Commencing Tuesday, January 7, 2025
HOUSE BILL NO. 1597
(Representative Heinert)
AN ACT to provide an exemption; and to provide for the distribution of state financial assistance to
eligible ambulance service operations.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF NORTH DAKOTA:
SECTION 1. EXEMPTION - AMBULANCE SERVICE OPERATION FUNDING DISTRIBUTION.
Notwithstanding section 23-46-04 relating to state financial assistance for emergency medical services,
during the biennium beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2027, the department of health and
human services, in consultation with the emergency medical services advisory council, shall provide
state financial assistance to each eligible ambulance service operation pursuant to the following
calculation:
1.The minimum reasonable budget for each operation must be determined by adding the
product of the operation's average number of runs for the two most recent calendar years
multiplied by the cost of a run. The cost of a run for this biennium is two thousand twenty-three
dollars. If the average runs multiplied by the cost of a run equals less than one hundred
twenty-five thousand dollars, the minimum reasonable budget for that ambulance service is
one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars. The grant amount must be the lesser of:
a.The calculation in subsection 2; or
b.The cost of a run multiplied by the average number of runs.
2.The operation's grant amount must be determined by deducting the following amounts from
the operation's budget calculated under subsection 1:
a.The product of the operation's average number of runs for the two most recent calendar
years multiplied by the reimbursement for a run. The reimbursement for a run is seven
hundred ninety-five dollars; and
b.The product of the property tax valuation of the operation's response area for the most
recent taxable year multiplied by five mills. The property tax valuation of the operation's
response area must be provided by the county auditor annually no later than July thirty-
first. If the response area covers multiple counties, the county auditor with the most
response area is responsible for coordinating with the other county auditors.
3.The maximum total grant calculation for each operation, after accounting for the deductions in
subsection 2, may not exceed two hundred twenty-five thousand dollars.
4.The maximum reimbursement for a run is two thousand twenty-three dollars. Notwithstanding
subsection 5, for grant amounts distributed through June 30, 2027, the minimum total grant
calculation for each operation, after accounting for the deductions in subsection 2, must be at
least fifty percent of the previous year's grant amount, but not more than the amount
calculated in subsection 1.
5.The department shall distribute a prorated share of the operation's calculated grant amount if
legislative appropriations for state financial assistance for emergency medical services is not
sufficient to provide full grant funding calculated under this section.
6.An operation is not eligible to receive funding under this section if the operation does more
than eight hundred runs per year. H. B. NO. 1597 - PAGE 2
7.A response area acquired after April 1, 2024, due to an adjacent ambulance service closure is
not calculated in the operations response area for the purpose of the grant calculation. H. B. NO. 1597 - PAGE 3
____________________________ ____________________________
Speaker of the House President of the Senate
____________________________ ____________________________
Chief Clerk of the House Secretary of the Senate
This certifies that the within bill originated in the House of Representatives of the Sixty-ninth Legislative
Assembly of North Dakota and is known on the records of that body as House Bill No. 1597.
House Vote: Yeas 83 Nays 6 Absent 5
Senate Vote:Yeas 44 Nays 0 Absent 3
____________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
Received by the Governor at ________M. on _____________________________________, 2025.
Approved at ________M. on __________________________________________________, 2025.
____________________________
Governor
Filed in this office this ___________day of _______________________________________, 2025,
at ________ o’clock ________M.
____________________________
Secretary of State