HS HCS SS SCS SB 1107 -- EMERGENCY SERVICES

This bill makes changes to laws regarding emergency services and
emergency service personnel.

EMERGENCY SERVICES RETIREMENT (Sections 87.177 - 87.238, RSMo)

The bill allows members of the St. Louis Firefighters' Retirement
System at age 62 with five to 20 years of service to apply for a
service retirement allowance benefit.  The benefit will be 2%
times years of service times the average final compensation.  The
member must be repaid the total amount of the member's
contribution, without interest.  The benefit is to be paid in
lieu of the refund of accumulated contributions.  Survivor
benefits will be 50% of the member benefit or a refund of
accumulated contributions.  Members will also receive a
cost-of-living allowance of 5% per year for a maximum of five
years.

The bill also allows a minimum benefit of $525 per month to a
surviving spouse of a St. Louis firefighter if the surviving
spouse is currently receiving less than that amount.
Firefighters are allowed to receive a minimum retirement benefit
of $625.

EMERGENCY SERVICES REIMBURSEMENT FROM TAX INCREMENT FINANCING
DISTRICTS (Section 99.847)

Under current law, emergency services districts must be
reimbursed for direct costs related to increased demands for
services within a tax increment financing (TIF) district.
Reimbursement is allowed only if the increased tax revenue
resulting from the TIF project is insufficient to fund these
direct costs and if the emergency services district can provide
proof that increased costs were incurred.  Reimbursement is to be
at least 25%, but no more than 100%, of the emergency services
district's tax increment.

The bill removes the reimbursement requirements that the district
show that it incurred costs not covered by increased tax revenue
and that it must provide proof of the increased costs.  The bill
also changes the reimbursement amount of at least 25% to 50%, but
not more than 100%, of the emergency services district's tax
increment.

The bill also prohibits the authorization of certain tax
increment finance projects in a flood plain in St. Charles
County.

Tax increment finance projects approved after July 1, 2003, are
allowed to modify, amend, and expand projects by 40% of cost as
they existed as of June 30, 2003.  Tax increment districts are
also allowed to modify, amend, or expand by not more than 5% as
the district existed as of June 30, 2003.

AMBULANCE SERVICES (Sections 190.044 - 190.248)

The bill:

(1)  Repeals state law prohibiting the taxation by both an
ambulance district and a fire district in counties of the third
classification;

(2)  Changes the residency requirements for candidates for
directors of ambulance districts;

(3)  Allows ambulance boards to increase to seven members or
decrease to five or three members upon voter approval;

(4)  Changes requirements for the use of an automated external
defibrillator;

(5)  Removes the requirement that Cass, Bates, Henry, Johnson,
and St. Clair counties have a mobile emergency medical technician
in the ambulance when transporting a patient;

(6)  Defines "emergency medical technician-intermediate" and
"specialty care transportation."  The bill also allows the
Department of Health and Senior Services to license emergency
medical technician-intermediates only in the counties of Clay,
Platte, and Jackson;

(7)  Increases the number of persons serving on the State
Advisory Council on Emergency Medical Services by one person who
must reside in the City of St. Louis;

(8)  Requires most ground ambulances to have at least two
licensed individuals when transporting a patient;

(9)  Requires the owner, upon the sale or transfer of an
ambulance service, to notify the department of the change within
30 days.  The department is required to inspect the service to
verify compliance with licensure standards;

(10)  Changes the requirements for the county letter of
endorsement to the department for new ambulance service within
unincorporated portions of a county;

(11)  Requires all ambulance services, including services in St.
Louis City, to maintain adequate insurance coverage or proof of
financial responsibility with adequate reserves maintained.
Provisions for the self-insurance of St. Louis City ambulance
services are removed;

(12)  Requires the department to reissue a license to an
emergency medical technician within two years of the lapse of the
license if certain conditions are met;

(13)  Expands causes for which a complaint may be filed with the
Administrative Hearing Commission against an ambulance service;

(14)  Forbids relicensure of any individual whose license has
been revoked twice within a 10-year period;

(15)  Requires the department to submit a copy of certain
licensee settlement agreements to the Administrative Hearing
Commission;

(16)  Requires a patient care report to be completed for each run
including when a patient is transferred to another facility;

(17)  Requires an ambulance service to report to the department
within 72 hours of its having knowledge of certain felony charges
filed against an employee of the licensee.  The employee of a
service is also required to notify the service of these charges
within 72 hours;

(18)  Requires any investigation into violation of ambulance laws
to be completed within six months.  The department is given
access to all records related to the investigation; and

(19)  Gives ambulance services the same rights in regards to
liens as hospitals have under Chapter 430.  If liens against any
entity exceed 50%, all those giving notice of a lien will share
in the net proceeds due the patient.

STRETCHER VAN SERVICES  (Sections 190.528 - 190.534)

The bill contains provisions related to the regulation of
stretcher van services.  A stretcher van service provides
transportation to passengers who are confined to stretchers and
whose conditions are not likely to need medical attention during
transportation.  The bill:

(1)  Requires any person, owner, or agent to be licensed by the
Department of Health and Senior Services if engaged in the
transport of persons confined to stretchers.  The department can
issue these licenses for a period of five years;

(2)  Allows political subdivisions that are authorized to provide
ambulance service, prior to January 1, 2002, to continue to
enforce laws, ordinances, and regulations regarding ambulance
service.  Laws, regulations, and ordinances that any political
subdivisions had in effect prior to August 28, 2001, may continue
to be enforced;

(3)  Allows the governing body in St. Louis County to set
standards for all stretcher van services.  Any service in the
county must be licensed by the state.  The county may not
prohibit a licensed service from operating in the county as long
as the service meets county standards;

(4)  Requires stretcher vans to operate with a two-person crew;

(5)  Requires stretcher van operators to immediately contact the
appropriate ground ambulance service if a passenger's medical
condition deteriorates;

(6)  Requires the department to establish an application process
and regulations requiring adequate insurance, vehicle maintenance
and specifications, passenger safety, and service records and
reports;

(7)  Requires services to notify the department upon the sale or
transfer of any service ownership.  The department must inspect
the new service to verify compliance with licensure standards;

(8)  Allows the department to refuse to issue or deny renewal of
a stretcher van license for failure to comply with the law or any
regulation promulgated by the department.  Guidelines for
disciplinary action and relicensure are established.  The
department may cause a complaint to be filed with the
Administrative Hearing Commission against a licensee for
noncompliance with regulations.  Procedures are established for
the notification of the applicant that a license has been refused
and for the applicant to file a complaint with the commission.
An individual whose license has been revoked must wait one year
to apply for relicensure.  The department may notify any other
state in which a person is licensed of a suspended or revoked
license in this state;

(9)  Protects any person or organization from civil damage when
in good faith the person provides information to the department
regarding stretcher van regulations;

(10)  Allows the department to suspend a license if it finds that
there is an imminent threat to public health.  The department
must file a complaint with the Administrative Hearing Commission
upon the suspension.  Procedures are established for the
suspension and appeal of suspension; and

(11)  Makes persons violating the stretcher van provisions guilty
of a class B misdemeanor.  Each day that any violation continues
constitutes a separate offense, but the court may stay the
cumulative penalties.

HEALTH AND WELFARE OF EMERGENCY SERVICE WORKERS (Sections 191.630
- 191.631)

The bill requires persons who receive care from an emergency
service provider and who have exposed the provider to blood or
other potentially infectious materials to consent to a test for
infectious diseases.

FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT DIRECTORS (Section 321.130)

The bill requires candidates for fire protection district
directors in third and fourth classification counties to reside
in the district for two years before the election or appointment.
Currently, the candidate must reside in the county in which the
district is located for two years.  A candidate for director in a
newly formed district must reside in the district for one year
before the election or appointment.

AMBULANCE DISTRICT AND FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT SALES TAX
(Sections 321.552 - 321.556)

In all counties, except Greene, Platte, Clay, St. Charles, and
St. Louis, any ambulance or fire protection district may impose a
retail sales tax of up to one-half of 1% on all retail sales made
within the district, upon voter approval.  The tax must be used
for the operation of the district and for the reduction of
property taxes.  The ambulance or fire protection district must
reduce property tax revenues by an amount equal to 50% of the
amount of sales tax collected in the preceding year.  The
Department of Revenue will collect the retail sales taxes.  When
the fire protection district or ambulance district receives a
petition signed by at least 20% of the qualified voters in the
last gubernatorial election calling for an election to repeal the
sales tax, the district must submit the question to the voters.

Missouri House of Representatives
Last Updated October 11, 2002 at 9:04 am