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Bill > A2535

NJ A2535

NJ A2535
Revises definition of volunteer first aid, rescue, and ambulance squad under New Jersey Highway Traffic Safety Act of 1987.

summary

Introduced
02/04/2016
In Committee
02/04/2016
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
01/08/2018

Introduced Session

2016-2017 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. A "volunteer first aid, rescue, and ambulance squad" is defined as a not-for-profit basic life support service organization that provides emergency medical services and whose members do not directly receive payment. 2. Members of a volunteer first aid, rescue, and ambulance squad do not lose their status as volunteers or any rights accorded to volunteers even if the squad engages in third-party billing for services rendered, such as billing private health insurance plans, auto insurance companies, and government programs like Medicaid and Medicare. 3. The bill clarifies that individuals who volunteer to provide emergency medical services for a non-volunteer first aid, rescue, and ambulance squad shall be treated as members of a volunteer squad for the purpose of being entitled to any personal benefits. This bill addresses an incongruity in the current law, where a volunteer first aid squad may lose its "volunteer" status if it engages in third-party billing, even though the members themselves do not directly receive payment. The bill ensures that volunteer first responders maintain their rights and benefits even when their squad bills third parties for services rendered.

Committee Categories

Justice

Sponsors (1)

Last Action

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee (on 02/04/2016)
(1 Companion Bills)

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