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HB2623 • 2026

Rural EMT provider grants

Establishing a grant program for emergency medical transport providers in rural areas.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Representative Engell, Representative Bernbaum, Representative Leavitt, Representative Parshley, Representative Nance
Last action
2026-01-22
Official status
H Approps
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Rural EMT provider grants

Rural EMT provider grants

What This Bill Does

  • Rural EMT provider grants

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-22 House

    First reading, referred to Appropriations.

Official Summary Text

Rural EMT provider grants

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
AN ACT Relating to establishing a grant program for emergency 1
medical transport providers in rural areas; and adding a new section 2
to chapter 74.09 RCW. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 74.09 5
RCW to read as follows: 6
(1) Subject to amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, 7
beginning January 1, 2027, the authority shall establish and 8
administer the rural access to emergency medical transport grant 9
program. 10
(2) The grant program established in subsection (1) of this 11
section shall provide supplemental payments to public and private 12
ground emergency medical transportation providers who provide 13
services to persons enrolled in medical assistance programs under 14
this chapter and live in frontier counties, as defined in RCW 15
43.160.020. The supplemental payments shall be calculated as the 16
difference between the rate that the transportation provider received 17
from medical assistance programs under this chapter for the transport 18
and the medicare rate for the same service. 19
(3) The authority shall establish criteria for:20
H-2975.1
HOUSE BILL 2623
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Engell, Bernbaum, Leavitt, Parshley, and Nance
Read first time 01/22/26. Referred to Committee on Appropriations.
p. 1 HB 2623
(a) Determining which ground emergency medical transportation 1
providers are eligible to participate in the program;2
(b) Eligible transports for reimbursement. The criteria shall 3
require that the transports originate within a frontier county;4
(c) Calculating supplemental payment rates; and5
(d) Prioritizing funding when appropriated amounts are not 6
sufficient to cover all claims. The prioritization shall emphasize 7
payment of claims in the order of submission to the authority.8
--- END ---
p. 2 HB 2623