Legislation Quick Search
03/29/2024 10:41 AM
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20190&cosponId=30073
Share:
Home / House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

Subscribe to PaLegis Notifications
NEW!

Subscribe to receive notifications of new Co-Sponsorship Memos circulated

By Member | By Date | Keyword Search


House of Representatives
Session of 2019 - 2020 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: August 9, 2019 11:04 AM
From: Representative Martin T. Causer
To: All House members
Subject: EMSOF Fund Enhancements
 
In the near future, I will be reintroducing legislation to increase the funding available through the Emergency Medical Services Operating Fund (EMSOF) for our EMS delivery system.

Under Title 75 (Vehicle Code) surcharges are assessed upon moving violations ($10) and DUI convictions ($25). The proceeds from these surcharges are used to fund the EMSOF. This currently generates approximately $10 million statewide. The surcharges were first implemented in 1985 and have not been increased since then; a time span of 34 years! The $10.00 EMSOF fine is equivalent to $23.90 today, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI Inflation Calculator.

According to AOPC data, the number of citations and court cases subject to the EMSOF fee is decreasing and collection rates for the fees are as low as 50%. The relative value of the fund has been severely diminished by inflation and other factors. According to the SR 6 Commission Report of 2018, the EMSOF fund within the next several years will be inadequate to fund the operations of regional EMS councils as well as the statewide advisory council.

As you may know, our volunteer ambulance companies have been struggling financially and the folks who provide the services find that the training they need is getting more expensive and harder to obtain, especially in rural parts of the Commonwealth. To address this growing problem, I am proposing to increase the surcharges to $20 and $50 respectively with an additional requirement that not less than 30% of the fund be used for EMS training needs in rural Pennsylvania and not less than 10% be used for equipment needs for individual ambulance companies.

My proposal addresses a major component of Recommendation #14 of the SR 6 Report, which is to strengthen the EMS delivery system through increased funding and targeted enhancements to meet today’s EMS system needs.

Please consider joining me in sponsoring this important SR 6 and public safety initiative to assist our EMS agencies.



Introduced as HB1838