1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to ambulance services; requiring local units 
  1.3             of government to reimburse the cost of additional 
  1.4             requirements for ambulance services; modifying the 
  1.5             requirements for ambulance drivers; amending Minnesota 
  1.6             Statutes 1998, section 144E.16, subdivision 5; 
  1.7             Minnesota Statutes 1999 Supplement, section 144E.101, 
  1.8             subdivision 10. 
  1.9   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.10     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1999 Supplement, section 
  1.11  144E.101, subdivision 10, is amended to read: 
  1.12     Subd. 10.  [DRIVER.] (a) A driver of an ambulance must: 
  1.13     (1) possess a current driver's license issued by any state; 
  1.14  and ~~must~~ 
  1.15     (2) have attended an emergency vehicle driving course 
  1.16  approved by the licensee.  The emergency vehicle driving course 
  1.17  must include actual driving experience. 
  1.18     (b) If a driver of an ambulance is needed to attend to a 
  1.19  medical situation and is unable to drive the ambulance, the 
  1.20  ambulance may be driven by a firefighter, police officer, 
  1.21  physician, or first responder without meeting the requirement 
  1.22  described in paragraph (a), clause (2). 
  1.23     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 144E.16, 
  1.24  subdivision 5, is amended to read: 
  1.25     Subd. 5.  [LOCAL GOVERNMENT'S POWERS.] (a) Local units of 
  1.26  government may, with the approval of the board, establish 
  1.27  standards for ambulance services which impose additional 
  2.1   requirements upon such services.  Local units of government 
  2.2   intending to impose additional requirements shall consider 
  2.3   whether any benefit accruing to the public health would outweigh 
  2.4   the costs associated with the additional requirements.  The cost 
  2.5   of any additional requirement imposed by a local unit of 
  2.6   government that exceeds the standards established under state 
  2.7   law must be reimbursed by the local unit of government imposing 
  2.8   the requirement. 
  2.9      (b) Local units of government that desire to impose 
  2.10  additional requirements shall, prior to adoption of relevant 
  2.11  ordinances, rules, or regulations, furnish the board with a copy 
  2.12  of the proposed ordinances, rules, or regulations, along with 
  2.13  information that affirmatively substantiates that the proposed 
  2.14  ordinances, rules, or regulations:  
  2.15     (1) will in no way conflict with the relevant rules of the 
  2.16  board; 
  2.17     (2) will establish additional requirements tending to 
  2.18  protect the public health; 
  2.19     (3) will not diminish public access to ambulance services 
  2.20  of acceptable quality; and 
  2.21     (4) will not interfere with the orderly development of 
  2.22  regional systems of emergency medical care. 
  2.23     (c) The board shall base any decision to approve or 
  2.24  disapprove local standards upon whether or not the local unit of 
  2.25  government in question has affirmatively substantiated that the 
  2.26  proposed ordinances, rules, or regulations meet the criteria 
  2.27  specified in paragraph (b).  The board shall not approve any 
  2.28  additional requirement unless the local unit of government 
  2.29  seeking to impose the requirement agrees to reimburse the 
  2.30  ambulance service the additional cost associated with meeting 
  2.31  the requirement.  
  2.32     (d) The additional costs of any additional requirement 
  2.33  imposed by the local unit of government shall be determined by 
  2.34  an independent financial audit conducted on an annual basis.