Florida Senate - 2025                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 1644
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì7772726Î777272                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  04/02/2025           .                                
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       The Committee on Transportation (Rodriguez) recommended the
       following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
    6  316.2398, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
    7         316.2398 Display or use of red or red and white warning
    8  signals; motor vehicles of volunteer firefighters or medical
    9  staff.—
   10         (1) A privately owned vehicle belonging to an active
   11  firefighter member of a regularly organized volunteer
   12  firefighting company or association, while en route to the fire
   13  station for the purpose of proceeding to the scene of a fire or
   14  other emergency or while en route to the scene of a fire or
   15  other emergency in the line of duty as an active firefighter
   16  member of a regularly organized firefighting company or
   17  association, may display or use red or red and white warning
   18  signals. A privately owned vehicle belonging to a medical staff
   19  physician or technician of a medical facility licensed by the
   20  state or of a volunteer ambulance service, while responding to
   21  an emergency in the line of duty, may display or use red warning
   22  signals. An organ transport vehicle, while transporting organs
   23  or surgical teams for organ donation or transplant while en
   24  route to a hospital, an airport, or other designated location,
   25  may display or use red warning signals. Warning signals must be
   26  visible from the front and from the rear of such vehicle,
   27  subject to the following restrictions and conditions:
   28         (a) No more than two red or red and white warning signals
   29  may be displayed.
   30         Section 2. Present subsections (6) and (7) of section
   31  401.25, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (7)
   32  and (8), respectively, a new subsection (6) is added to that
   33  section, and paragraph (d) of subsection (2) of that section is
   34  amended, to read:
   35         401.25 Licensure as a basic life support or an advanced
   36  life support service.—
   37         (2) The department shall issue a license for operation to
   38  any applicant who complies with the following requirements:
   39         (d) The applicant has obtained a certificate of public
   40  convenience and necessity from each county in which the
   41  applicant will operate. In issuing the certificate of public
   42  convenience and necessity, the governing body of each county
   43  shall consider the recommendations of municipalities within its
   44  jurisdiction.
   45         1. An applicant that is an active first responder agency is
   46  exempt from this requirement if it:
   47         a.1. Is a faith-based, not-for-profit charitable
   48  corporation registered under chapter 617 which has been
   49  responding to medical emergencies in this state for at least 15
   50  10 consecutive years.
   51         b.2. Is not a parent, subsidiary, or affiliate of, or
   52  related to, any for-profit entity.
   53         c.3. Provides basic life support services or advanced life
   54  support services solely through at least 150 50 unpaid licensed
   55  emergency medical technician or paramedic volunteers in at least
   56  three counties at the time of application.
   57         d.4. Is not operating for pecuniary profit or financial
   58  gain.
   59         e.5. Does not distribute to or inure to the benefit of its
   60  directors, members, or officers or other related parties any
   61  part of its assets or income.
   62         6.Does not receive any government funding. However, the
   63  volunteer ambulance service may receive funding from specialty
   64  license plate proceeds.
   65         f.7. Has never had a license denied, revoked, or suspended.
   66         g.8. Provides services at no cost to the patient free of
   67  charge.
   68         h.9. As part of its application for licensure, provides to
   69  the department a management plan that includes a training
   70  program, dispatch protocols, a complaint management system, an
   71  accident or injury handling system, a quality assurance program,
   72  and proof of adequate insurance coverage to meet state or county
   73  insurance requirements, whichever requirements are greater.
   74         i.10. Provides a disclaimer on all written materials that
   75  the volunteer ambulance service is not associated with the
   76  state’s 911 system.
   77         2.An applicant seeking an exemption from this requirement
   78  must submit to the department a sworn affidavit that complies
   79  with s. 92.50(1) attesting that the applicant meets the
   80  requirements for exemption provided in sub-subparagraphs 1.a.-i.
   81  A person who submits an affidavit fraudulently attesting to
   82  meeting such requirements violates s. 837.012 and commits a
   83  misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s.
   84  775.082 or s. 775.083.
   85         3. The exemption under subparagraph 1. this paragraph may
   86  be granted to no more than 15 four counties. This exemption
   87  notwithstanding, an applicant is not exempted from and must
   88  comply with all other requirements for licensure. An applicant
   89  must also take all reasonable efforts to enter into a memorandum
   90  of understanding with the emergency medical services licensee
   91  within whose jurisdiction the applicant will provide services in
   92  order to facilitate communications and coordinate emergency
   93  services for situations beyond the scope of the applicant’s
   94  capacity and for situations of advanced life support that are
   95  deemed priority 1 or priority 2 emergencies.
   96         (6) A volunteer ambulance service licensed under this
   97  section may not apply for, receive funds under, or participate
   98  in any grant program designed exclusively for publicly operated
   99  fire departments or emergency medical service agencies.
  100         Section 3. Paragraph (l) of subsection (1) of section
  101  395.401, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  102         395.401 Trauma services system plans; approval of trauma
  103  centers and pediatric trauma centers; procedures; renewal.—
  104         (1)
  105         (l) A county, upon the recommendations of the local or
  106  regional trauma agency, may adopt ordinances governing the
  107  transport of a patient who is receiving care in the field from
  108  prehospital emergency medical personnel when the patient meets
  109  specific criteria for trauma, burn, or pediatric centers adopted
  110  by the local or regional trauma agency. These ordinances must be
  111  consistent with s. 395.4045, ordinances adopted under s.
  112  402.25(7) s. 401.25(6), and the local or regional trauma system
  113  plan and, to the furthest possible extent, must ensure that
  114  individual patients receive appropriate medical care while
  115  protecting the interests of the community at large by making
  116  maximum use of available emergency medical care resources.
  117         Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.
  118  
  119  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
  120  And the title is amended as follows:
  121         Delete everything before the enacting clause
  122  and insert:
  123                        A bill to be entitled                      
  124         An act relating to emergency services; amending s.
  125         316.2398, F.S.; deleting a limitation on the number of
  126         red or red and white warning signals that certain
  127         vehicles may display; amending s. 401.25, F.S.;
  128         revising the circumstances under which certain
  129         applicants for a specified license are exempt from a
  130         requirement to obtain certificates of public
  131         convenience and necessity; requiring an applicant
  132         seeking such exemption to submit a sworn affidavit to
  133         the department attesting to certain facts; providing
  134         criminal penalties for the submission of an affidavit
  135         that fraudulently attests to certain facts; revising a
  136         limitation on the number of counties that may be
  137         granted a certain exemption; prohibiting a licensed
  138         volunteer ambulance service from applying for,
  139         receiving funds under, or participating in certain
  140         grant programs; amending s. 395.401, F.S.; conforming
  141         a cross-reference; providing an effective date.