This bill allows registered nurses and licensed practical nurses to serve on ambulance crews alongside or instead of traditional emergency medical technicians, expanding who can provide emergency medical care during ambulance runs. The bill also creates liability protections for nurses working on ambulances and establishes that a physician assistant or nurse practitioner can supervise an ambulance service instead of requiring a physician medical director. These changes give ambulance services more flexibility in staffing while maintaining medical oversight of emergency care.
The engrossed version removes a "hardship exemption" provision that would have allowed ambulance services to use an emergency medical responder paired with a registered nurse, instead making nurses a standard alternative option that any ambulance service can use alongside traditional EMT/paramedic crews. This change **broadens** nurse participation by eliminating the exemption framework and making it a regular staffing option rather than a crisis measure.
The change converted the bill from its engrossed committee version to its enrolled final form, which involved removing internal legislative markup and formatting while preserving all substantive provisions—the bill's purpose of allowing registered nurses and licensed practical nurses to serve on ambulance crews with liability protection remains unchanged. This is a standard procedural transition that cleans up the document for final enactment without altering the bill's legal content.
Signed by the Governor H.J. 254
Delivered to the Governor H.J. 214
Signed by the President S.J. 171
Signed by the Speaker H.J. 199
Senate Do Pass Amended Passed, YEAS 33, NAYS 0. S.J. 144
Health and Human Services Certified uncontested, placed on consent S.J. 5
Health and Human Services Do Pass Passed, YEAS 7, NAYS 0. S.J. 5
Health and Human Services Scheduled for hearing S.J. 1
First read in Senate and referred to Senate Health and Human Services S.J. 92
House of Representatives Do Pass Amended Passed, YEAS 67, NAYS 0. H.J. 115
Health and Human Services Certified uncontested, placed on consent
Health and Human Services Do Pass Amended Passed, YEAS 13, NAYS 0.
Health and Human Services Motion to amend
Health and Human Services Scheduled for hearing H.J. 1
First read in House and referred to House Health and Human Services H.J. 12
Prime sponsor · Rep.
R
Do Pass Amended
Health and Human Services — Do Pass
Do Pass Amended
Health and Human Services — Do Pass Amended