Senate passes H 622 to strengthen Vermont emergency medical services, create EMS fund and advisory council

The Senate voted to place H 622 in all remaining stages and passed the bill on third reading after committee reports from Health & Welfare, Government Operations, Finance and Appropriations. The measure is intended to bolster Vermont’s emergency medical services system through funding, planning and oversight.

Senator from Rutland summarized the bill’s core elements: the bill amends 18 VSA §901 to emphasize the purpose of promoting a comprehensive EMS system; it creates an Emergency Medical Services special fund under 32 VSA chapter 7 (to be administered by the Department of Health and funded by the fire safety special fund plus gifts and grants); and it directs the Agency of Human Services to reimburse EMS providers for treatment without transport "to the extent permitted by federal law" at amounts equal to Medicaid basic life support rates.

The bill also establishes an EMS Education Council (composition and meeting frequency spelled out), requires the EMS advisory committee to develop a five-year statewide plan and perform periodic briefings to the Commissioner of Health and the General Assembly, and directs data collection on personnel counts, current EMS spending, gaps and overlap in service areas. Section 7 authorizes appropriations for training facilities and curriculum; section 10 sets most provisions to take effect on passage while some appropriations take effect July 1, 2024.

Committee reports were favorable: Health & Welfare reported the measure out (vote noted), Government Operations asked for alignment of advisory committee work with bill purposes and coordination with other studies, Finance reported an expected revenue increase from insurer assessments, and Appropriations described a de minimis general-fund impact (reported around $31,000 in ongoing base appropriations with federal matches).

What happens next: the bill was passed by the Senate and will be messaged to the House for final disposition. The law will require agency rulemaking and implementation steps detailed in the bill, including formation of the EMS Education Council and annual reporting.