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Iowa politics: Bill to expand what EMS funds can be spent on passes subcommittee

Iowa politics: Bill to expand what EMS funds can be spent on passes subcommittee
BUT OF COURSE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW BO. THANK YOU. RIGHT NOW, A BILL TO EXPAND WHAT CAN BE COVERED BY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES FUNDING IS STARTING TO MAKE ITS WAY THROUGH THE STATE HOUSE. A SENATE SUBCOMMITTEE VOTED IN FAVOR OF THE MEASURE THIS MORNING. IT WOULD ALLOW CITIES TO PAY EMS PROVIDERS SALARY OR WAGES FROM AN EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES TRUST FUND. MULTIPLE GROUPS SPOKE IN FAVOR OF THIS BILL TODAY. THE IOWA EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES ASSOCIATION SAYS IT’S NEUTRAL ABOUT THIS ISSUE RIGHT NOW, BUT BELIEVES CURRENT LAW ALREADY ALLOWS FOR FLEXIBILITY IN SPENDING. RIGHT NOW, WE FEEL LIKE THE PROGRAM IS EXTREMELY PERMISSIVE. WHAT WE’RE WORRIED ABOUT IS IF WE START ADDING THINGS AND ADDING THINGS AND ADDING MORE AND MORE THINGS, IT’S GOING TO BE MORE PRESCRIPTIVE AND YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE A RACE TO THE CAPITOL BUILDING. OFTEN, EVERY TIME SOMEONE WANTS TO DO SOMETHING INNOVATIVE OR DIFFERENT THAN SOME OTHER COUNTY HAS DONE, AND THAT WOULD BE TOTALLY COUNTER TO WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO WHEN WE DESIGNED THE PROGRAM. IT ALLOWS CITIES MORE FLEXIBILITY, ABILITY TO FIND SOME EFFICIENCIES AND CERTAINTY IN OUR BUDGETING PROCESS, IN PROVIDING EMS SERVICES, WHICH IN MANY CASES IS A LARGE PART OF CITY BUDGETS. A SIMILAR BILL HAS BEEN PROPOSED IN THE IOWA HOUSE.
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Iowa politics: Bill to expand what EMS funds can be spent on passes subcommittee
A bill to expand what can be covered by Emergency Medical Services funding is starting to make its way through the Iowa Statehouse.A Senate subcommittee voted in favor of the measure this morning.It would allow cities to pay EMS provider salaries or wages from an Emergency Medical Services Trust Fund. Multiple groups spoke in favor of the bill. The Iowa Emergency Medical Services Association says it's neutral right now, but believes current law already allows for flexibility in spending."Right now we feel like the program is extremely permissive," said Cody Carlson of the Iowa League of Cities. "What we're worried about is if we start adding things and adding things and adding more and more things, it's going to be more prescriptive and you're going to have a race to the Capitol building often — every time someone wants to do something innovative or different than some other county has done. "That would be totally counter to what we were trying to do when we designed the program."There is a similar bill proposed in the Iowa House. It has not been heard in a subcommittee yet.» More coverage from the Iowa Statehouse» Download the free vlog app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play

A bill to expand what can be covered by Emergency Medical Services funding is starting to make its way through the Iowa Statehouse.

A Senate subcommittee voted in favor of the measure this morning.

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It would allow cities to pay EMS provider salaries or wages from an Emergency Medical Services Trust Fund. Multiple groups spoke in favor of the bill.

The Iowa Emergency Medical Services Association says it's neutral right now, but believes current law already allows for flexibility in spending.

"Right now we feel like the program is extremely permissive," said Cody Carlson of the Iowa League of Cities. "What we're worried about is if we start adding things and adding things and adding more and more things, it's going to be more prescriptive and you're going to have a race to the Capitol building often — every time someone wants to do something innovative or different than some other county has done.

"That would be totally counter to what we were trying to do when we designed the program."

There is a similar bill proposed in the Iowa House.

It has not been heard in a subcommittee yet.

» More coverage from the Iowa Statehouse

» Download the free vlog app to get updates on the go: |