Florida Senate - 2025 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 1644
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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.