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HB116 ENROLLED
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HB116
DGZ1SHT-2
By Representatives Oliver, Starnes, Stubbs, Smith, Fidler,
Paschal, Sells, Hammett, DuBose, Fincher, Wadsworth, Whorton,
Bolton, Mooney, Lamb, Brown, Bedsole, Shaver, Rehm, Underwood,
Givens, Harrison
RFD: Ways and Means Education
First Read: 13-Jan-26
PFD: 06-Jan-26
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PFD: 06-Jan-26
Enrolled, An Act,
Relating to emergency medical services personnel education; to
amend Sections 22-18-60, 22-18-61, 22-18-62, and 22-18-64,
Code of Alabama 1975, to further provide for the Volunteer
Rescue Squad Tuition Reimbursement Program by authorizing the
Alabama Department of Public Health, through its designated
regional agencies of the Office of Emergency Medical Services,
to provide education and receive tuition reimbursement under
the program; and to make nonsubstantive, technical revisions
to update the existing code language to current style.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. Sections 22-18-60, 22-18-61, 22-18-62, and
22-18-64, Code of Alabama 1975, are amended to read as
follows:
"§22-18-60
For the purposes of this article, the following terms
shall have the following meanings:
(1) ACCS. The Alabama Community College System.
(2) AMBULANCE SERVICE. An ambulance service located in
this state which is a member of the Alabama Association of
Ambulance Services.
(3) ASSOCIATIONS. The Alabama Association of Rescue
Squads, the Alabama Association of Volunteer Fire Departments,
or the Alabama Association of Ambulance Services.
(4) DESIGNATED EMS REGIONAL AGENCY. A regional agency
of the Office of Emergency Medical Services of the Alabama
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of the Office of Emergency Medical Services of the Alabama
Department of Public Health which is designated by the
department to offer educational courses to students.
(5) ELIGIBLE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION. A member school
of the ACCS, the fire college, the University of South
Alabama, or a designated regional EMS agency.
(4)(6) EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE PERSONNEL (EMSP). All
recognized levels of personnel licensed by the Alabama
Department of Public Health, who have met all primary or
renewal educational requirements, or both, set by the Alabama
Department of Public Health, and who are allowed to provide
medical care within the level of their scope of practice
granted by the Office of Emergency Medical Services within the
Alabama Department of Public Health.
(5)(7) FIRE COLLEGE. The Alabama Fire College.
(6)(8) STUDENT. A student enrolled in an emergency
medical services certification program at a member institution
of the ACCS, the fire college, or the University of South
Alabama an eligible educational institution .
(7)(9) TUITION COSTS. Includes the actual cost of
tuition and fees required to complete an approved
course program of instruction for EMSP certification, as
determined by each eligible educational institution.
(8)(11) VOLUNTEER RESCUE SQUAD. A volunteer rescue
squad located in this state andthat is a member of the Alabama
Association of Rescue Squads.
(9)(10) VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT. A volunteer fire
department located in this state."
"§22-18-61
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"§22-18-61
(a) The ACCS, the fire college, and the University of
South Alabama Eligible educational institutions , in
consultation with the associations, shall jointly develop and
administer a student tuition reimbursement program for
students who contract to provide two years of emergency
medical services for volunteer rescue squads, volunteer fire
departments, or ambulance services after becoming a licensed
EMSP.
(b)(1) Tuition reimbursement under this article shall
cover tuition costs paid by the student or the volunteer
rescue squad, volunteer fire department, ambulance service, or
association on behalf of the student of which the student is a
member. Tuition paid by the volunteer rescue squad, volunteer
fire department, ambulance service, or association shall be
reimbursed directly to the volunteer rescue squad, volunteer
fire department, ambulance service, or association.
(2) Tuition reimbursement under this article shall not
include any tuition costs covered by grants or other monetary
awards provided to a student including, but not limited to,
federal education grants and scholarships, as determined by
the ACCS.
(3) Tuition costs shall not be reimbursed until the
student provides ACCS and the associations with documentation
that he or she has successfully completed the approved
course program of instruction, proof of passing the
certification exam, production of a valid EMSP license from
the Alabama Department of Public Health, and a contractual
agreement to comply with the service requirements.
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agreement to comply with the service requirements.
(c) In the event that a tuition reimbursement recipient
fails to meet the service requirements for any reason other
than extreme hardship as defined within the joint agreement
required in Section 22-18-64(b), the individual shall be
deemed to have breached the underlying contract and shall be
liable in the form of monetary damages to the state for the
immediate repayment of the total tuition costs reimbursed,
plus interest at the rate of eight percent. The associations
shall notify ACCS of recipients who fail to meet the service
requirements.
(d) Beginning with the 2023-2024 fiscal year, the
amount of tuition reimbursement available to students shall be
divided among volunteer fire departments, rescue squads, and
ambulance services based on available appropriations . in
compliance with the following standards:
(1) The ACCS shall create operational procedures to
ensure that funds and volunteer service commitments are split
equitably among volunteer fire departments, rescue squads, and
ambulance services. Notwithstanding the foregoing, priority
shall be given to volunteer fire departments, rescue squads,
and nonprofit ambulance services.
(2) The Alabama Department of Public Health shall adopt
a rule imposing a monetary cap on the amount of tuition costs
that may be reimbursed for students who complete the program
of instruction through a designated regional EMS agency, which
shall not exceed any cap in effect on the amount of reimbursed
tuition costs for the Alabama Fire College. "
"§22-18-62
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"§22-18-62
Beginning October 1, 2018, the member (a) Member
institutions of the ACCS, the Fire College fire college , and
the University of South Alabama , and designated EMS regional
agencies may enter into contracts with new students seeking to
obtain certification as an EMSP.
(b) The Alabama Department of Public Health shall adopt
rules setting credentialing and accreditation standards for
private companies and instructors that teach courses on behalf
of the designated EMS regional agencies which are equal to the
standards of the other eligible education institutions. "
"§22-18-64
(a) The ACCS shall annually report on the condition and
accomplishments of the tuition reimbursement program to the
Governor, Speaker of the House of Representatives, President
Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Chair of the House Ways and
Means Education Committee, the Chair of the Senate Finance and
Taxation Education Committee, and the Deputy Director of the
Legislative Services Agency, Fiscal Division. The report shall
include the number of students participating in the program
and the amount of tuition reimbursed for the reporting year.
The member Eligible educational institutions of the ACCS, the
fire college, and the University of South Alabama shall
provide this information to ACCS for inclusion in the annual
report. The report shall be submitted by the fifth legislative
day of each regular session of the Legislature.
(b) The ACCS , the fire college, and the University of
South Alabama shall enter into a joint agreement with the
other eligible educational institutions to implement and
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other eligible educational institutions to implement and
administer the tuition reimbursement program, which shall
include provisions for ensuring that operational expenses for
the program in a fiscal year do not exceed 10 percent of the
funding for the program in that fiscal year. The joint
agreement shall provide for limiting the acceptance of
applications for the program or limiting tuition
reimbursements when necessary, or both.
(c) Any monies received for the operations of the
tuition reimbursement program, including repayments, interest,
and penalties paid because of failure to honor service
requirements, shall be used to fund tuition reimbursements."
Section 2. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2026.
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1, 2026.
________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Representatives
________________________________________________
President and Presiding Officer of the Senate
House of Representatives
I hereby certify that the within Act originated in and
was passed by the House 22-Jan-26.
John Treadwell
Clerk
Senate 09-Apr-26 Passed
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