PRINTER'S NO. 1593
No. 1377 Session of 1995
INTRODUCED BY DALEY, VAN HORNE, STISH, BELARDI AND E. Z. TAYLOR, APRIL 19, 1995
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, APRIL 19, 1995
AN ACT 1 Amending the act of July 3, 1985 (P.L.164, No.45), entitled "An 2 act relating to the prevention and reduction of premature 3 death and disability in this Commonwealth; providing for 4 assistance, coordination and support of the development and 5 maintenance of a comprehensive emergency medical services 6 system and for qualifications, eligibility and certification 7 of emergency medical services personnel and licensing 8 ambulance services; imposing powers and duties on the 9 Department of Health; and making repeals," further providing 10 for minimum standards for ambulance service. 11 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 12 hereby enacts as follows: 13 Section 1. Section 12(o) of the act of July 3, 1985 14 (P.L.164, No.45), known as the Emergency Medical Services Act, 15 is amended and the section is amended by adding a subsection to 16 read: 17 Section 12. Minimum standards for ambulance service. 18 * * * 19 (g.1) Service area.-- 20 (1) Every advertisement of an ambulance service shall 21 indicate the geographic area in which the service operates.
1 (2) (i) If an ambulance service receives a written 2 application for service from a person who lives outside 3 the geographic operating area of the ambulance service, 4 the application and any payment shall be returned to the 5 applicant within ten days with a written explanation. 6 (ii) If an ambulance service receives a telephone 7 application for service from a person who lives outside 8 the operating area of the ambulance service, the 9 applicant shall be advised that the application cannot be 10 accepted because of the geographic operating limits of 11 the ambulance service. 12 * * * 13 (o) Violation.-- 14 (1) [Upon] Except as provided in paragraph (2)(i), upon 15 determining that a violation of this act or rules and 16 regulations promulgated thereunder exists, the department 17 shall issue a written notice to the ambulance service 18 specifying the violation or violations that have been found. 19 The notice shall require the ambulance service to take action 20 or submit a plan of correction to the department that shall 21 bring the ambulance service into compliance with applicable 22 law or regulations within a specified period of time. The 23 plan of correction must be submitted within 30 days of 24 receipt of the written notice. 25 (2) (i) An ambulance service which accepts an 26 application for service from a person who lives outside 27 the ambulance service's operating area in violation of 28 subsection (g.1) commits a summary offense and shall, 29 upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of $500 for a 30 first offense or $1,000 for a second offense. For a third 19950H1377B1593 - 2 -
1 offense the ambulance service's license shall be revoked. 2 [(2)] (ii) If, after such reasonable time for 3 compliance, the department determines that the violation 4 persists, the department shall afford the holder of the 5 license an opportunity for an administrative hearing to 6 be conducted by the department pursuant to Title 2 of the 7 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes (relating to 8 administrative law and procedure). If, after the hearing, 9 the department rules that the license shall be suspended 10 or revoked, appeals may be taken as provided by law. 11 * * * 12 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days. B13L35VDL/19950H1377B1593 - 3 -