2023 -- S 0952
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LC002478
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S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
____________
A N A C T
RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- EMERGENCY MEDICAL TR ANSPORTATION
SERVICES
Introduced By: Senators Ruggerio, Gallo, F. Lombardi, and Miller
Date Introduced: April 27, 2023
Referred To: Senate Health & Human Services
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 23-4.1-6 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-4.1 entitled "Emergency 1
Medical Transportation Services" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2
23-4.1-6. Licensing of ambulances and ambulance service. 3
(a) A person shall not engage in the business or service of the transportation of patients 4
upon any public way of the state unless that person holds a license by the director of health for 5
engaging in that business or service. 6
(b) A person shall not operate an ambulance on public ways in this state if the ambulance 7
is not licensed by the director of health under this chapter. 8
(c) The director of health shall not issue or renew a license for an ambulance under this 9
chapter unless the ambulance meets the minimum equipment standards established under this 10
chapter. 11
(d) If a major emergency occurs and the licensed ambulances in the state are not sufficient 12
to meet the needs to transport the injured or sick persons, the licensing provisions of this section 13
do not apply during the period of the emergency. 14
(e)(1) If an ambulance is owned by a nonresident and is licensed as a motor vehicle in 15
another state, it may be operated on the public ways of this state to transport patients who are picked 16
up out of state and brought to treatment centers in the state, without the ambulance, its owners, the 17
driver, the attendant, or the attendant drivers being licensed under this section. 18
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(2) Also exempted are: 1
(i) Any motor vehicles or aircraft owned by or operated under the direct control of the 2
United States; 3
(ii) Those hospital-based and owned vehicles and their attendants which are used solely for 4
the transportation of non-emergency patients to and from other institutions for the purpose of 5
therapy and/or other medical treatment and services of a non-emergency nature; and 6
(iii) Those private ambulance and service companies and their attendants which are used 7
solely for the transportation of non-emergency patients; provided, however, that those private 8
ambulance and service companies annually attest to the ambulance service coordinating board the 9
fact that the ambulance or service companies are not engaged in the transportation of emergency 10
patients. 11
(f) Any change of ownership of a licensed ambulance or of a business or service engaged 12
in the transportation of patients ends the license concerned. Upon a change of ownership, the 13
director of health shall issue a ninety (90) day temporary license upon the application of the new 14
owner for a current license. 15
(g) All persons engaged in the business or service of the transportation of patients on any 16
public ways in the state, all person operating an ambulance for ambulance purposes on any public 17
way in the state, and all ambulances operated on public ways in this state shall conform to the 18
minimum standards set by regulations issued under the authority of this chapter. 19
(h) If there is a hardship imposed on any applicant for a license because of an unusual 20
circumstance, the applicant may apply to the director for a temporary waiver of the licensing 21
provisions of this section for good cause shown. The director has the power to waive licensing 22
provisions for a period not to exceed ninety (90) days. 23
(i) A person may not transport any patient by a stretcher, or in a supine position, in a vehicle 24
unless the person holds a license as an emergency medical services provider issued by the director 25
of health for engaging in that business or service. For the purposes of this section the definition of 26
a "person" means an individual, corporation, organization, government, governmental subdivision 27
or agency, business, trust, partnership, association, or any other legal entity, and an "emergency 28
medical provider" means the practitioners, ambulance vehicles, and ambulance services entities 29
licensed in accordance with chapter 4.1 of title 23 to provide emergency care, transportation, and 30
preventative care to mitigate loss of life, or exacerbation of illness and injury. 31
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 32
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- EMERGENCY MEDICAL TR ANSPORTATION
SERVICES
***
This act would require any person who transports a patient by a stretcher or in a supine 1
position in a vehicle to be licensed as an emergency medical services provider through the director 2
of health. 3
This act would take effect upon passage. 4
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