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*sb0159*
SENATE BILL 159
J1 (6lr1428)
ENROLLED BILL
— Education, Energy, and the Environment/Health —
Introduced by Senator A. Washington
Read and Examined by Proofreaders:
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
Sealed with the Great Seal and presented to the Governor, for his approval this
_______ day of _______________ at __ ______________________ o’clock, ________M.
______________________________________________
President.
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Emergency Medical Services – Vehicles and Ambulances – Required Supplies, 2
Reviews, and Complaints 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the Executive Director of the Maryland Institute for 4
Emergency Medical Services Systems to coordinate , with a certain program, the 5
minimum equipment, supplies, and medications to be available on emergency 6
medical services vehicles; requiring each county and municipality that operates or 7
contracts emergency medical services to conduct quarterly reviews of certain data 8
and to certify completion of each review; requiring each county to establish and 9
maintain a formal complaint filing system regarding ambulance quality, conduct, or 10
compliance; and generally relating to emergency medical services vehicles and 11
ambulances. 12
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 13
Article – Education 14
2 SENATE BILL 159
Section 13–501(a), (f), and (g) 1
Annotated Code of Maryland 2
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 3
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 4
Article – Education 5
Section 13–510 6
Annotated Code of Maryland 7
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 8
BY adding to 9
Article – Education 10
Section 13–519 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 13
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15
Article – Education 16
13–501. 17
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 18
(f) “EMS Board” means the State Emergency Medical Services Board. 19
(g) “Institute” means the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services 20
Systems. 21
13–510. 22
In accordance with the Emergency Medical System plan and other relevant policies 23
adopted by the EMS Board, the Executive Director shall: 24
(1) Coordinate a statewide system of emergency medical services; 25
(2) Coordinate the five emergency medical service regions in this State; 26
(3) Coordinate the planning and operation of emergency medical services 27
with the federal, State, and county governments; 28
(4) Coordinate the training of all personnel in the Emergency Medical 29
Services System and develop the necessary standards for their certification or licensure; 30
(5) Coordinate programs of research and education that relate to 31
emergency medical services; 32
SENATE BILL 159 3
(6) Coordinate the development of centers for treating emergency injuries 1
and illnesses; 2
(7) Coordinate the development of specialty referral cen ters for 3
resuscitation, treatment, and rehabilitation of the critically ill and injured; 4
(8) COORDINATE, WITH THE JURISDICTIONAL EMERGENCY MEDICAL 5
SERVICES OPERATING PROGRAM PROGRAMS, THE MINIMUM EQUIPMEN T, 6
SUPPLIES, AND MEDICATIONS , INCLUDING EQUIPMENT , SUPPLIES, AND 7
MEDICATIONS NEEDED FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE, INCLUDING NEONATAL CARE, 8
TO BE AVAILABLE ON E MERGENCY MEDICAL SER VICES VEHICLES WITH THE 9
FEDERAL, STATE, AND COUNTY GOVERNMENTS; 10
[(8)] (9) Work closely with the public and private agencies, health care 11
institutions and universities involved with emergency medical services, the Emergency 12
Medical Services Advisory Council, and the Medical Management Consultant Group; 13
[(9)] (10) Administer State and federal funds for emergency medical 14
services in this State; 15
[(10)] (11) Work closely with the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute, which 16
is responsible for basic training for emergency medical technicians; 17
[(11)] (12) Assure continued improvement of transportation for emergency, 18
critically ill, and injured patients by supporting the goals of career and volunteer systems 19
throughout this State; and 20
[(12)] (13) Implement all programmatic, operational, and administrative 21
components of the Institute. 22
13–519. 23
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION , “AMBULANCE” MEANS ANY CONVEYANCE 24
DESIGNED AND CONSTRU CTED OR MODIFIED AND EQUIPPED TO BE USED , 25
MAINTAINED, OR OPERATED TO TRANS PORT SICK , INJURED, WOUNDED, OR 26
OTHERWISE INCAPACITATED INDIVIDUALS. 27
(2) “AMBULANCE” INCLUDES A CONVEYANC E DESIGNED AND 28
CONSTRUCTED OR MODIFIED AND EQUIPPED FOR AEROMEDICAL TRANSPORT. 29
(B) (1) EACH COUNTY AND MUNIC IPALITY THAT OPERATE S OR 30
CONTRACTS EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES SHALL: 31
4 SENATE BILL 159
(I) CONDUCT QUARTERLY REV IEWS OF AMBULANCE 1
PERFORMANCE DATA PUBLISHED BY THE INSTITUTE; 2
(II) CERTIFY COMPLETION OF EACH REVIEW; AND 3
(III) SUBMIT A SUMMARY OF EACH REVIEW TO THE INSTITUTE. 4
(2) A REVIEW CONDUCTED UND ER PARAGRAPH (1)(I) OF THIS 5
SUBSECTION SHALL: 6
(I) ASSESS: 7
1. RESPONSE TIMES; 8
2. SERVICE QUALITY; AND 9
3. COMPLIANCE WITH INSTITUTE STANDARDS; 10
(II) IDENTIFY TRENDS AND DEFICIENCIES IN SERVICES; AND 11
(III) ALLOW A COUNTY OR MUN ICIPALITY TO ADOPT 12
CORRECTIVE MEASURES AND MAKE OPERATIONAL ADJUSTMENTS. 13
(C) (1) EACH COUNTY SHALL EST ABLISH AND MAINTAIN A FORMA L 14
COMPLAINT FILING SYSTEM TO RECEIVE, INVESTIGATE, AND RESOLVE COMPLAINTS 15
REGARDING AMBULANCE QUALITY, CONDUCT, OR COMPLIANCE. 16
(2) THE FORMAL COMPLAINT FILING SYSTEM SHALL: 17
(I) BE ACCESSIBLE ONLINE AND IN PERSON; 18
(II) INCLUDE TRACKING , INVESTIGATION TIMELI NES, AND 19
NOTIFICATIONS; AND 20
(III) REPORT COMPLAINT DATA AND RESOLUTIONS QUARTERLY 21
TO THE INSTITUTE. 22
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 23
1, 2026. 24