ASSEMBLY, No. 5640
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
INTRODUCED MAY 8, 2025
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman JESSICA RAMIREZ
District 32 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes basic life support services as essential; requires municipalities to arrange for basic life support services; makes an appropriation.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Actconcerning basic life support services, supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes, and amending P.L.1993, c.58 and P.L.2015, c.70.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. (New section) a. As used in this act:
"Basic life support ambulance service" means an entity that is licensed by the department to provide pre-hospital basic life support care.
"Basic life support service" means a basic level of pre-hospital care which includes basic life support ambulance service, patient stabilization, airway clearance, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, hemorrhage control, initial wound care and fracture stabilization, and other techniques and procedures authorized by the commissioner.
b. Basic life support service shall be deemed an essential service in this State. The governing body of each municipality in this State shall provide basic life support service to meet the needs of its population. The provision of basic life support service may be arranged by:
(1) providing a license or franchise to a private company;
(2) contracting with a public, private, or nonprofit entity for the service;
(3) entering into a mutual aid agreement with at least one other municipal governing body for basic life support service pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1993, c.58 (C.26:2K-61); or
(4) entering into an agreement with a hospital pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2015, c.70 (C.26:2K-12.1).
2. Section 2 of P.L.1993, c.58 (C.26:2K-61) is amended to read as follows:
2. The governing bodies of two or more municipalities may, by enacting reciprocal ordinances, enter into agreements with each other for mutual basic life support service and, first aid, ambulance or rescue squad assistance in case of emergency, subject to the written approval of the volunteer basic life support service and, first aid, ambulance or rescue squad or squads involved. The agreements may provide for:
a. Terms and conditions for payment by the municipality receiving assistance to the municipality rendering assistance for each member and each equipped basic life support service, or first aid, ambulance or rescue squad apparatus for each hour supplied;
b. The reimbursement of the municipality or municipalities rendering assistance for any damage to basic life support service, or first aid, ambulance or rescue squad equipment or other property and for payment to any member of a basic life support service, or first aid, ambulance or rescue squad for injuries sustained while serving pursuant to such agreements, or to a surviving spouse or other dependent if death results; and
c. A joint meeting of the municipalities entering into such agreements regarding other matters as are mutually deemed necessary.
(cf: P.L.1993, c.58, s.2)
3. Section 1 of P.L.2015, c.70 (C.26:2K-12.1) is amended to read as follows:
1. a. (1) A hospital which has been issued a certificate of need by the Department of Health to operate a Level 1 trauma center shall be exclusively authorized to develop and maintain advanced life support services in the municipality in which the trauma center is located, and shall have the right of first refusal to provide both advanced life support and basic life support services in the municipality, provided that the services are provided at no charge to the municipality, and the municipality does not provide basic life support services as a municipal service or as part of a shared services agreement pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1993, c.58 (C.26:2K-61).
(2) A hospital that develops and maintains advanced life support services pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be subject to the same level of oversight by the Department of Health as would apply to an entity that holds a certificate of need for advanced life support services, as provided by regulation at N.J.A.C.8:33.
b. A hospital which has been issued a certificate of need by the Department of Health to operate a Level 1 trauma center shall have the right to apply under expedited review to provide advanced life support services in additional municipalities in which an acute care hospital that, as of July 1, 2015, is part of the same health system as the Level 1 trauma center is located, provided such application for expedited review is submitted on or before December 31, 2016.
(cf: P.L.2015, c.70, s.1)
4. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Health such sums as are necessary to reimburse municipalities for the cost of establishing basic life support services as an essential service in this State pursuant to section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) as certified by the Commissioner of Health and subject to the approval of the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting in the Department of the Treasury.
5. This act shall take effect on the first day of the seventh month next following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires each municipality to provide basic life support (BLS) and ambulance service to meet the needs of its population and designates BLS as an essential service in this State.
Under the bill, the governing body of a municipality may arrange BSL by: providing a license or franchise to a private company; contracting with a public, private, or nonprofit entity for the service; entering into a mutual aid agreements with the one or more municipal governing bodies; or entering into an agreement with a hospital.
The bill establishes an appropriation to the Department of Health in such sums as are necessary to reimburse municipalities for the cost of establishing basic life support services as an essential service in this State.