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Bill > A3114

NJ A3114

NJ A3114
Revises definition of volunteer first aid, rescue, and ambulance squad under New Jersey Highway Traffic Safety Act of 1987.

summary

Introduced
02/24/2020
In Committee
02/24/2020
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
01/11/2022

Introduced Session

2020-2021 Regular Session

Bill Summary

This bill revises the definition of a "volunteer first aid, rescue, and ambulance squad" to mean a first aid, rescue, and ambulance squad which provides emergency medical services and whose members do not directly receive payment. Under the bill, a member of a volunteer squad would not lose the status of a "volunteer" and any rights accorded volunteers even if the squad engages in third-party billing for services rendered. Under current law, a "volunteer first aid, rescue, and ambulance squad" means a first aid, rescue, and ambulance squad which provides emergency medical services without receiving payment for those services. This bill clarifies that members of a volunteer first aid, rescue, and ambulance squad in municipalities with a third party billing program maintain their volunteer status, thus entitling them to certain statutorily-conferred benefits, including the right to use flashing blue lights and free training for initial certification and recertification. Under third party billing programs, private health insurance plans, auto insurance companies, and government entitlement programs, such as Medicaid and Medicare, are charged for services rendered by municipal emergency first aid squads. To qualify as a volunteer first aid squad under the current definition, the squad cannot receive payment for services. This definition may be interpreted to mean that in municipalities which institute third party billing programs, the members of the squads are no longer volunteers because the municipality is receiving payment for the services rendered by the volunteers. To address this incongruity, the bill specifies that members of a volunteer first aid, rescue, and ambulance squad do not lose their status as volunteers when the squad bills third parties for services rendered and that these volunteers do not lose the right to any benefit otherwise conferred on members of a volunteer squad.

AI Summary

This bill revises the definition of a "volunteer first aid, rescue, and ambulance squad" under the New Jersey Highway Traffic Safety Act of 1987. The key provisions are: 1. The bill defines a "volunteer first aid, rescue, and ambulance squad" as a not-for-profit organization that provides emergency medical services, and whose members do not directly receive payment for their volunteer services. 2. The bill clarifies that members of a volunteer squad do not lose their volunteer status or any associated benefits, even if the squad engages in third-party billing for the services rendered. This addresses a potential issue where third-party billing could be interpreted as the squad receiving payment, thereby disqualifying them as a "volunteer" squad under the current law. 3. The bill also defines a "nonvolunteer first aid, rescue, and ambulance squad" as a basic life support service organization that does not qualify as a volunteer squad, and provides emergency medical services on a paid basis. However, individuals who volunteer for such nonvolunteer squads are still treated as members of a volunteer squad for the purpose of entitlement to personal benefits. The intent of the bill is to ensure that volunteer first aid, rescue, and ambulance squads in municipalities with third-party billing programs can maintain their volunteer status and associated rights, despite the municipality receiving payment for the services rendered.

Committee Categories

Justice

Sponsors (1)

Last Action

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee (on 02/24/2020)
(1 Companion Bills)

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