Florida HB 805: Volunteer Ambulance Services

Bill Text

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CS/CS/CS/HB 805, Engrossed 1 2021 Legislature

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An act relating to volunteer ambulance services; 2
amending s. 316.003, F.S.; revising the definition of 3
the term "authorized emergency vehicles" and defining 4
the term "volunteer ambulance service"; amending s. 5
316.072, F.S.; authorizing certain medical staff of a 6
volunteer ambulance service to use red lights on a 7
privately owned vehicle under certain circumstances; 8
amending s. 316.2397, F.S.; authorizing vehicles of 9
volunteer ambulance services to show or display red 10
lights and operate emergency lights and sirens under 11
certain circumstances; amending s. 316.2398, F.S.; 12
authorizing privately owned vehicles belonging to 13
certain medical staff of a volunteer ambulance service 14
to display or use red warning signals under certain 15
circumstances; conforming a provision to changes made 16
by the act; prohibiting certain medical staff of 17
volunteer ambulance services from operating red 18
warning signals when not responding to an emergency in 19
the line of duty; amending s. 401.211, F.S.; revising 20
legislative intent; amending s. 401.23, F.S.; defining 21
the term "volunteer ambulance service"; amending s. 22
401.25, F.S.; exempting certain first responder 23
agencies from certificate of public convenience and 24
necessity requirements; providing a limitation; 25

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CS/CS/CS/HB 805, Engrossed 1 2021 Legislature

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb0805-05-er
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requiring compliance with all other licensure 26
requirements; providing requirements regarding 27
memoranda of understanding; providing that county and 28
municipal governments may not limit, prohibit, or 29
prevent volunteer ambulance services from responding 30
to emergencies or providing emergency medical services 31
or transport within their respective jurisdictions; 32
specifying that an emergency medical services provider 33
or fire rescue services provider operated by a county, 34
municipality, or special district is responsible for 35
the care and transport of certain patients; 36
prohibiting county and municipal governments from 37
requiring volunteer ambulance services to obtain a 38
license or certificate or pay a fee to provide 39
ambulance services or nonemergency air ambulance 40
services within their respective jurisdictions if a 41
certain condition is met; providing an exception; 42
amending s. 316.306, F.S.; conforming a cross-43
reference; providing an effective date. 44
45
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 46
47
Section 1. Subsection (105) of section 316.003, Florida 48
Statutes, is renumbered as subsection (106), subsection (1) is 49
amended, and a new subsection (105) is added to that section, to 50

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CS/CS/CS/HB 805, Engrossed 1 2021 Legislature

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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read: 51
316.003 Definitions.—The following words and phrases, when 52
used in this chapter, shall have the meanings respectively 53
ascribed to them in this section, except where the context 54
otherwise requires: 55
(1) AUTHORIZED EMERGENCY VEHICLES.—Vehicles of the fire 56
department (fire patrol), police vehicles, and such ambulances 57
and emergency vehicles of municipal departments, volunteer 58
ambulance services, public service corporations operated by 59
private corporations, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation 60
Commission, the Department of Environmental Protection, the 61
Department of Health, the Department of Transportation, and the 62
Department of Corrections as are designated or authorized by 63
their respective departments department or the chief of police 64
of an incorporated city or any sheriff of any of the various 65
counties. 66
(105) VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE SERVICE.—A faith-based, not-for-67
profit charitable corporation registered under chapter 617 which 68
is licensed under part III of chapter 401 as a basic life 69
support service or an advanced life support service; which is 70
not a parent, subsidiary, or affiliate of, or related to, any 71
for-profit entity; and which uses only unpaid volunteers to 72
provide basic life support services or advanced life support 73
services free of charge, is not operating for pecuniary profit 74
or financial gain, and does not distribute to or inure to the 75

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CS/CS/CS/HB 805, Engrossed 1 2021 Legislature

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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benefit of its directors, members, or officers any part of its 76
assets or income. 77
Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (5) o