COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH

OVERSIGHT DIVISION

FISCAL NOTE

L.R. No.:         4796-04

Bill No.:          SCS for SB 1044

Subject:           Ambulance Districts: Staffing

Type:              Original

Date:               March 7, 2008

Bill Summary:            Modifies provisions regarding minimum ambulance staffing for ambulances staffed with volunteers.

FISCAL SUMMARY

Numbers within parentheses: ( ) indicate costs or losses.

This fiscal note contains 4 pages.

☐ Estimated Total Net Effect on All funds expected to exceed $100,000 savings or (cost).

☐ Estimated Net Effect on General Revenue Fund expected to exceed $100,000 (cost).

FISCAL ANALYSIS

ASSUMPTION

Oversight sent response request to several ambulance districts, but due to timing, none have responded.

Officials of the Department of Health and Senior Services assume no fiscal impact.

Oversight assumes that ambulance districts that are currently staffing their ambulance calls with volunteers could realize and increase in costs of having at least one of the staff to be an emergency technician, and one other member who may be a licensed emergency medical technician, registered nurse, physician, or someone who has a first responder certification.

Oversight assumes there could be some costs to ambulance districts whose boards would establish requirements that the other attendant meet certain qualifications allowed in this proposal and will show fiscal impact as either a $0 for those districts that currently exceed state requirements, to a negative unknown for those districts that elect to increase staffing qualifications. Annual costs to ambulance districts, on a statewide basis, is indeterminable.

FISCAL IMPACT - Small Business

Small ambulance businesses that use volunteer staffing on ambulance calls could expect to have costs from hiring qualified staff to be in compliance with staffing requirements.

FISCAL DESCRIPTION

Under current law, each ground ambulance is required to be staffed with at least two licensed individuals when transporting a patient, except for certain counties which are allowed to have only one licensed emergency medical technician, registered nurse or physician in attendance. This act amends current law to allow this exception for any ambulance licensed in the state staffed with volunteers. A volunteer is defined as an individual who performs hours of service without promise, expectation or receipt of compensation for services rendered, except for a nominal stipend per call to compensate for fuel, uniforms, and training.

This legislation is not federally mandated, would not duplicate any other program and would not require additional capital improvements or rental space.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Department of Health and Senior Services

NOT RESPONDING

Central St. Louis County Fire & Rescue

St. Charles County Ambulance District

Taney County Ambulance District

Valley Ambulance District 

                                                                                                Mickey Wilson, CPA

                                                                                                Director

                                                                                                March 7, 2008