Rhode Island 2023 Regular Session

Rhode Island Senate Bill S0952 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3
4	4
5	5	2023 -- S 0952
6	6	========
7	7	LC002478
8	8	========
9	9	S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
12	12	____________
13	13
14	14	A N A C T
15	15	RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- EMERGENCY MEDICAL TR ANSPORTATION
16	16	SERVICES
17	17	Introduced By: Senators Ruggerio, Gallo, F. Lombardi, and Miller
18	18	Date Introduced: April 27, 2023
19	19	Referred To: Senate Health & Human Services
20	20
21	21
22	22	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
23	23	SECTION 1. Section 23-4.1-6 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-4.1 entitled "Emergency 1
24	24	Medical Transportation Services" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2
25	25	23-4.1-6. Licensing of ambulances and ambulance service. 3
26	26	(a) A person shall not engage in the business or service of the transportation of patients 4
27	27	upon any public way of the state unless that person holds a license by the director of health for 5
28	28	engaging in that business or service. 6
29	29	(b) A person shall not operate an ambulance on public ways in this state if the ambulance 7
30	30	is not licensed by the director of health under this chapter. 8
31	31	(c) The director of health shall not issue or renew a license for an ambulance under this 9
32	32	chapter unless the ambulance meets the minimum equipment standards established under this 10
33	33	chapter. 11
34	34	(d) If a major emergency occurs and the licensed ambulances in the state are not sufficient 12
35	35	to meet the needs to transport the injured or sick persons, the licensing provisions of this section 13
36	36	do not apply during the period of the emergency. 14
37	37	(e)(1) If an ambulance is owned by a nonresident and is licensed as a motor vehicle in 15
38	38	another state, it may be operated on the public ways of this state to transport patients who are picked 16
39	39	up out of state and brought to treatment centers in the state, without the ambulance, its owners, the 17
40	40	driver, the attendant, or the attendant drivers being licensed under this section. 18
41	41
42	42
43	43	LC002478 - Page 2 of 3
44	44	(2) Also exempted are: 1
45	45	(i) Any motor vehicles or aircraft owned by or operated under the direct control of the 2
46	46	United States; 3
47	47	(ii) Those hospital-based and owned vehicles and their attendants which are used solely for 4
48	48	the transportation of non-emergency patients to and from other institutions for the purpose of 5
49	49	therapy and/or other medical treatment and services of a non-emergency nature; and 6
50	50	(iii) Those private ambulance and service companies and their attendants which are used 7
51	51	solely for the transportation of non-emergency patients; provided, however, that those private 8
52	52	ambulance and service companies annually attest to the ambulance service coordinating board the 9
53	53	fact that the ambulance or service companies are not engaged in the transportation of emergency 10
54	54	patients. 11
55	55	(f) Any change of ownership of a licensed ambulance or of a business or service engaged 12
56	56	in the transportation of patients ends the license concerned. Upon a change of ownership, the 13
57	57	director of health shall issue a ninety (90) day temporary license upon the application of the new 14
58	58	owner for a current license. 15
59	59	(g) All persons engaged in the business or service of the transportation of patients on any 16
60	60	public ways in the state, all person operating an ambulance for ambulance purposes on any public 17
61	61	way in the state, and all ambulances operated on public ways in this state shall conform to the 18
62	62	minimum standards set by regulations issued under the authority of this chapter. 19
63	63	(h) If there is a hardship imposed on any applicant for a license because of an unusual 20
64	64	circumstance, the applicant may apply to the director for a temporary waiver of the licensing 21
65	65	provisions of this section for good cause shown. The director has the power to waive licensing 22
66	66	provisions for a period not to exceed ninety (90) days. 23
67	67	(i) A person may not transport any patient by a stretcher, or in a supine position, in a vehicle 24
68	68	unless the person holds a license as an emergency medical services provider issued by the director 25
69	69	of health for engaging in that business or service. For the purposes of this section the definition of 26
70	70	a "person" means an individual, corporation, organization, government, governmental subdivision 27
71	71	or agency, business, trust, partnership, association, or any other legal entity, and an "emergency 28
72	72	medical provider" means the practitioners, ambulance vehicles, and ambulance services entities 29
73	73	licensed in accordance with chapter 4.1 of title 23 to provide emergency care, transportation, and 30
74	74	preventative care to mitigate loss of life, or exacerbation of illness and injury. 31
75	75	SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 32
76	76	========
77	77	LC002478
78	78	========
79	79
80	80
81	81	LC002478 - Page 3 of 3
82	82	EXPLANATION
83	83	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
84	84	OF
85	85	A N A C T
86	86	RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- EMERGENCY MEDICAL TR ANSPORTATION
87	87	SERVICES
88	88	***
89	89	This act would require any person who transports a patient by a stretcher or in a supine 1
90	90	position in a vehicle to be licensed as an emergency medical services provider through the director 2
91	91	of health. 3
92	92	This act would take effect upon passage. 4
93	93	========
94	94	LC002478
95	95	========
96	96