S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1852
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 17, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. HINCHEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
 
 AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to  establishing  the
   consolidated  assistance  program  for EMS departments which creates a
   sustainable state financing mechanism for emergency medical services

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The  public health law is amended by adding a new section
 3018 to read as follows:
   § 3018. CONSOLIDATED ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR EMS DEPARTMENTS. 1.    FOR
 THE  PURPOSES  OF  THIS SECTION, THE TERM "FUNDING LEVEL" SHALL MEAN THE
 AVERAGE AMOUNT OF FUNDING RECEIVED OVER THE PREVIOUS TWO  YEARS,  CALCU-
 LATED  FOR  EACH  EMERGENCY  MEDICAL SERVICE DEPARTMENT OR CONTRACT WITH
 OTHER MUNICIPAL DEPARTMENTS, VOLUNTEER DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING  VOLUNTEER
 AMBULANCES WHICH ARE BASED IN VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS, OR NON-PROFITS
 FOR  THE  PROVISION OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES WITHIN THEIR JURISDIC-
 TION.
   2. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISIONS OF THIS CHAPTER OR  ANY  OTHER
 LAW,  AND  SUBJECT  TO  AN APPROPRIATION MADE THEREFOR AND IN ACCORDANCE
 WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION AND WITH THE RULES  AND  REGULATIONS
 PROMULGATED  BY  THE  COMMISSIONER  IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, THE CONSOL-
 IDATED ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE  DEPARTMENTS  IS
 HEREBY  ESTABLISHED FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAKING PAYMENTS TO MUNICIPALITIES
 WHICH OPERATE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE DEPARTMENTS,  OR  CONTRACT  WITH
 OTHER  MUNICIPAL DEPARTMENTS, VOLUNTEER DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING VOLUNTEER
 AMBULANCES WHICH ARE BASED IN VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS, OR NON-PROFITS
 FOR THE PROVISION OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES WITHIN  THEIR  JURISDIC-
 TION  AND WHICH DO NOT CONTRACT, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, WITH FOR-PROFIT
 ENTITIES FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES.  THE COMMISSIONER SHALL PROMUL-
 GATE ALL NECESSARY RULES AND REGULATIONS TO CARRY  OUT  THE  PROGRAM  SO
 THAT  AN  EQUITABLE  DISTRIBUTION  OF  AID SHALL BE MADE TO SUCH MUNICI-
 PALITIES.
   3. ON OR BEFORE THE TWENTY-FIFTH DAY OF  APRIL,  JUNE,  SEPTEMBER  AND
 NOVEMBER,  THERE  SHALL  BE  DISTRIBUTED  AND  PAID TO MUNICIPALITIES AN
 
              

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03428-01-3
 S. 1852                             2

 AMOUNT EQUAL TO THE MONEYS APPROPRIATED FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION
 DIVIDED BY THE NUMBER OF PAYMENT DATES IN THAT STATE FISCAL  YEAR.  SUCH
 AMOUNTS SHALL BE DISTRIBUTED AND PAID PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
   4.  AMOUNTS  SHALL  BE DISTRIBUTED TO MUNICIPALITIES UNDER THE CONSOL-
 IDATED ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR EMS DEPARTMENTS IN RELATIVE  SHARES  BASED
 ON  RULES  AND REGULATIONS PROMULGATED BY THE COMMISSIONER, IN CONSULTA-
 TION WITH THE NEW YORK STATE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES  COUNCIL,  WHICH
 SHALL CONSIDER FOR EACH MUNICIPALITY:
   (A)  ITS  POPULATION AND POPULATION DENSITY, PRIORITIZING LESS DENSELY
 POPULATED AREAS WHERE FINANCIAL STRAIN FOR PROVIDING SERVICE  IS  GREAT-
 EST;
   (B) EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES CALL VOLUME AND CALL TYPE;
   (C)  THE PERCENTAGE OF ITS ANNUAL BUDGET WHICH GOES TO PROVIDING EMER-
 GENCY MEDICAL SERVICES; AND
   (D) ANY OTHER FACTOR THE COMMISSIONER, IN CONSULTATION  WITH  THE  NEW
 YORK STATE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES COUNCIL, DEEMS RELEVANT.
   5. ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE THIRD MONTH FOLLOWING THE END OF ITS FISCAL
 YEAR, EACH MUNICIPALITY WHICH HAS RECEIVED FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS OR MORE
 IN TOTAL FUNDS PAID PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION DURING THE PRECEDING FISCAL
 YEAR  SHALL  CERTIFY  TO  THE  COMMISSIONER, PURSUANT TO RULES AND REGU-
 LATIONS PROMULGATED BY THE COMMISSIONER IN RELATION  THERETO,  THAT  THE
 EXPENDITURE  BY  SUCH MUNICIPALITY IN SUCH FISCAL YEAR OF NONSTATE FUNDS
 RAISED BY THE MUNICIPALITY FOR THE OPERATION OF OR CONTRACTING FOR EMER-
 GENCY MEDICAL SERVICES WAS NOT REDUCED BELOW THE LEVEL OF THE AVERAGE OF
 THE PREVIOUS TWO YEARS.  PROVIDED,  HOWEVER,  THAT  IN  CALCULATING  THE
 EXPENDITURES  AND  REVENUES  OF  THE MUNICIPALITY TO DETERMINE THE LOCAL
 MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT FOR  THE  FISCAL  YEAR  BEING  CERTIFIED  AND  THE
 EXPENDITURE  LEVEL  OF  THE  AVERAGE  OF THE PREVIOUS TWO YEARS, MUNICI-
 PALITIES SHALL NOT BE REQUIRED TO INCLUDE THE  AMOUNT  OF  REVENUES  AND
 EXPENDITURES  FOR  OPERATION  OF  OR  CONTRACTING  FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL
 SERVICES NECESSITATED BY ANY UNFORESEEN EVENT FOR WHICH THE MUNICIPALITY
 WAS OFFICIALLY DECLARED A DISASTER  AREA.  WHERE  A  REDUCTION  IN  SUCH
 SPENDING  OR  NON-USE  HAS OCCURRED, THE DISTRIBUTIONS ABOVE THE FUNDING
 LEVEL TO SUCH MUNICIPALITY IN THE THEN-CURRENT STATE FISCAL  YEAR  SHALL
 BE  REDUCED  BY  AN AMOUNT EQUIVALENT TO THE AMOUNT OF SUCH REDUCTION OR
 NON-USE, EXCEPT THAT NO REDUCTION TO THE FUNDING LEVEL  SHALL  BE  TAKEN
 FOR  AN AMOUNT CAUSED BY ANY UNFORESEEN EVENT FOR WHICH THE MUNICIPALITY
 WAS OFFICIALLY DECLARED A DISASTER AREA. MUNICIPALITIES NOT REQUIRED  TO
 CERTIFY UNDER THIS SECTION MAY CONTINUE SUCH NON-CERTIFYING STATUS, WITH
 THE  APPROVAL  OF THE COMMISSIONER, IF THE APPORTIONMENT TO SUCH MUNICI-
 PALITY IS INCREASED TO MORE THAN FIVE THOUSAND  DOLLARS  BUT  LESS  THAN
 SEVEN  THOUSAND  DOLLARS  IN  ANY LOCAL FISCAL YEAR. FOR THE PURPOSES OF
 THIS SECTION, A MUNICIPALITY SHALL MEAN A COUNTY, CITY, TOWN OR  VILLAGE
 OR TWO OR MORE SUCH JURISDICTIONS ACTING JOINTLY.
   6.  FOR  ANY  CITY, TOWN, OR VILLAGE WHICH CONSOLIDATES OR MERGES WITH
 ANOTHER MUNICIPALITY, THE RESULTING SUCCESSOR GOVERNMENT SHALL FILE WITH
 THE OFFICE OF THE STATE COMPTROLLER A CERTIFICATE OF  ANY  SUCH  CONSOL-
 IDATION,  MERGER  AND  ANY ACCOMPANYING DISSOLUTION. IF THE AMOUNT WHICH
 WOULD OTHERWISE BE APPORTIONED TO THE INDIVIDUAL GOVERNMENTS EXCEEDS THE
 AMOUNT WHICH IS PAYABLE TO THE SUCCESSOR  GOVERNMENT  PURSUANT  TO  THIS
 SECTION, SUCH SUCCESSOR GOVERNMENT SHALL RECEIVE NO LESS IN CONSOLIDATED
 ASSISTANCE  PROGRAM FOR EMS DEPARTMENT APPORTIONMENTS THAN THE PREDECES-
 SOR GOVERNMENTS WOULD HAVE RECEIVED IN THE AGGREGATE HAD THE  MERGER  OR
 CONSOLIDATION NOT OCCURRED.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.