summary
Introduced
02/05/2026
02/05/2026
In Committee
03/04/2026
03/04/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
104th General Assembly
Bill Summary
Amends the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall issue an annual Freestanding Emergency Center license to a facility if the facility complies with specified requirements, except that: (i) the Freestanding Emergency Center may be located in a municipality with a population greater than 50,000 inhabitants and (ii) the Freestanding Emergency Center may, if operated as provider-based under specified federal regulations, describe itself or hold itself out to the general public as a hospital emergency department in its advertising and marketing activities.
AI Summary
This bill amends the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act to allow Freestanding Emergency Centers (FECs) to be located in municipalities with populations over 50,000 inhabitants and to permit FECs, when operated as "provider-based" under specific federal regulations (42 CFR 413.65), to advertise themselves as hospital emergency departments. FECs are facilities licensed by the Department of Public Health to provide emergency medical services but are not part of a traditional hospital. The bill aims to expand access to emergency care by relaxing some of the previous restrictions on where these centers can be established and how they can market their services.
Committee Categories
Health and Social Services
Sponsors (1)
Last Action
Assigned to Human Services Committee (on 03/04/2026)
bill text
bill summary
Loading...
bill summary
Loading...
bill summary
Loading...