An Act amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in emergency medical services system, further providing for support of emergency medical services.

PRINTER'S NO. 2931
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 2238
Session of
2026
INTRODUCED BY PUGH, STENDER AND ZIMMERMAN, FEBRUARY 20, 2026
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, FEBRUARY 20, 2026
AN ACT
Amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in emergency medical services system,
further providing for support of emergency medical services.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 8153 of Title 35 of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding subsections to read:
§ 8153. Support of emergency medical services.
* * *
(g) Report.--
(1) The department shall submit an annual report to the
Auditor General and the General Assembly no later than
October 1 of each year.
(2) The report shall include, at a minimum:
(i) A complete accounting of all expenditures from
the Emergency Medical Services Operating Fund for the
preceding fiscal year.
(ii) Documentation accounting for all payments from
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the Emergency Medical Services Operating Fund used for
statutorily authorized purposes .
(iii) A list of all recipients that received funds
from the Emergency Medical Services Operating Fund and
documentation of their compliance with accounting and
reporting requirements.
(iv) A corrective action plan for any noncompliant
recipient of funding from the Emergency Medical Services
Operating Fund .
(3) The department shall publish the report on its
publicly accessible Internet website within seven days of
submission under paragraph (1).
(h) Conditional release of administrative funds.--
(1) If the department fails to submit the report under
subsection (g) by the deadline, all administrative funds from
the Emergency Medical Services Operating Fund allocated to
the department shall be withheld by the Secretary of Health
until full compliance is met.
(2) An EMS agency, ambulance service, rescue squad, fire
department or regional EMS council may not have its
operational funding from the Emergency Medical Services
Operating Fund withheld, delayed or reduced as a result of
department noncompliance under this subsection.
(3) Administrative funds withheld under this subsection
shall lapse to the Emergency Medical Services Operating Fund
and may not be reappropriated to the department if the
department fails to comply within 180 days of the deadline.
(i) Accountability.--
(1) The Secretary of Health and director of the Bureau
of Emergency Medical Services shall each submit a sworn
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certification verifying the accuracy and completeness of the
report under subsection (g).
(2) A false certification made knowingly or recklessly
shall be subject to penalty under 18 Pa.C.S. § 4904 (relating
to unsworn falsification to authorities).
(3) Failure to file the certification under this
subsection shall result in:
(i) Suspension of the director of the Bureau of
Emergency Medical Services' eligibility for performance
bonuses or salary increases for that fiscal year.
(ii) Mandatory appearance by the Secretary of Health
before the Appropriations Committee of the Senate and the
Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives
within 30 days.
(j) Independent verification.--
(1) The Auditor General shall annually verify the
completeness and accuracy of the report under subsection (g).
(2) No new funds from the Emergency Medical Services
Operating Fund may be released to department administrative
accounts until the Auditor General certifies that the
department has implemented all corrective actions recommended
in prior audits.
(3) The verification requirement shall not delay or
reduce operational payments from the Emergency Medical
Services Operating Fund to local EMS agencies or regional EMS
councils.
(k) Corrective directives.-- If the department fails to
comply with the provisions of this section, the Secretary of
Health shall be :
(1) Prohibited from using funds from the Emergency
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Medical Services Operating Fund for administrative salaries
until compliance is met.
(2) Mandated to implement specific internal controls.
The internal controls shall be shared with the Auditor
General.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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