House Bill 595 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Kelvin LawrenceRepresentative

Democrat

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Rural emergency medical services support, establishes grant program to support operational costs of EMS providers, supports scholarship and training costs

Summary

HB595 creates a Rural Emergency Medical Services Support Act to fund operational costs, training, and community paramedicine pilots for Alabama’s rural EMS providers.

What This Bill Does

The bill creates a grant program administered by the Alabama Department of Public Health to help eligible rural EMS providers pay for everyday operating costs and to support scholarships and training for EMS staff. It also allows EMS agencies to run up to 10 community paramedicine pilots that provide services like post-discharge visits and chronic care monitoring, with partnerships with local primary care providers. It directs funding for rural training initiatives and requires a statewide EMS needs assessment every two years; all programs depend on available funding.

Who It Affects

• Eligible EMS providers serving rural or frontier areas would receive grants to cover vehicles, equipment, training, insurance, fuel, and administrative costs
• Rural students entering EMT or paramedic training would get scholarships; current volunteers could receive tuition support; high school EMS exposure and dual enrollment programs would be offered
• EMS agencies participating in community paramedicine pilots could provide post-discharge follow-up visits, chronic care monitoring, and preventive education, in partnership with primary care providers
• The Alabama Medicaid Agency would reimburse approved non-emergency EMS services delivered under this act
• The Department of Public Health would administer the grant program, training initiatives, and needs assessment, and oversee regulations and billing codes

Key Provisions

• Establishes the Rural Emergency Medical Services Support Act and a grant program to support operational costs of eligible rural EMS providers
• Grants may be used for vehicles, equipment, training/certification, insurance, fuel, and administrative expenses with priority to areas with service gaps or high per-capita needs; funding is subject to availability
• Funds rural EMS training initiatives including scholarships for rural students, tuition support for volunteers, and high school EMS programs; requires rural clinical placements and cultural competency training; funding conditional on availability
• Authorize up to 10 pilot community paramedicine programs with services such as post-discharge visits, chronic care monitoring, and preventive education; each pilot must partner with at least one primary care provider
• EMS providers in community paramedicine are considered within scope of practice; Medicaid shall reimburse approved non-emergency services; department to develop regulations and billing codes
• A statewide EMS needs assessment will be conducted every two years to identify gaps, staffing shortages, infrastructure needs, and to report metrics to the Legislature and public
• Effective date is October 1, 2026

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano-2025-08-07 on Mar 10, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Health