HB1910sam001 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Sen. Dave Syverson

Filed: 5/16/2017

10000HB1910sam001 LRB100 04393 AMC 26282 a

AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 1910

AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 1910 by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the following:

"Section 5. The Rescue Squad Districts Act is amended by adding Section 11.5 as follows:

(70 ILCS 2005/11.5 new)

Sec. 11.5. Emergency medical services tax.

(a) It is declared as a matter of public policy:

(1) that, in order to preserve, protect, and promote the public health, safety, and general welfare, adequate and continuing emergency medical services should be available to every citizen of Illinois; and

(2) that, in the event adequate and continuing emergency medical services do not exist, rescue squad districts should be authorized to provide, and shall cause to be provided, emergency medical services as a public responsibility.

(b) If a rescue squad district incorporated under this Act is licensed under the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act, then the rescue squad district may, under the terms and conditions set out in this Section, provide emergency medical services, including transport within or without the district.

The board of trustees of a rescue squad district incorporated under this Act may, under the terms and conditions set out in this Section, contract with providers of emergency medical services that are licensed under the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act or enter into intergovernmental agreements with other units of local government for the purpose of providing emergency medical services that are licensed under the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act.

The board of trustees of a rescue squad district incorporated under this Act may levy a tax for the provision of emergency medical services as provided in this Section and adopt rules and regulations relating to emergency medical services within its jurisdiction.

(c) If the board of trustees of a rescue squad district desires to levy a special tax to provide emergency medical services, then it shall certify the question to the proper election officials, who shall submit that question at an election to the voters of the district. The result of the referendum shall be entered upon the records of the district. If a majority of the votes on the proposition are in favor of the proposition, the board of trustees may then levy a special tax at a rate not to exceed 0.40% of the value of all taxable property within the district as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue. The proposition shall be in substantially the following form: -------------------------------------------------------------

Shall the .... Rescue Squad District levy a special tax at a rate YES not to exceed 0.40% of the value of all taxable property within the district as --------------- equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue for the purpose of providing NO an emergency medical services? -------------------------------------------------------------

Votes must be recorded as "Yes" or "No".

(d) If it appears that a majority of all valid votes cast on the proposition are in favor of levying a special tax to pay for emergency medical services, the board of trustees may levy and collect an annual tax for the purpose of providing emergency medical services under this Act to be extended at a rate not to exceed 0.40% of the full fair cash value of the taxable property within the governmental unit as assessed or equalized by the Department of Revenue. This annual tax shall be in addition to the other taxes a rescue squad district may levy for its corporate purposes.

(e) Any board of trustees may:

(1) provide or operate an emergency medical services subject to licensure under the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act;

(2) contract with a private person, hospital, or corporation or enter into intergovernmental agreements with one or more units of local government for the provision and operation of emergency medical services or subsidize the emergency medical services; however, the provider of the emergency medical services must be licensed under the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act; and

(3) within its jurisdiction, fix, charge, and collect fees for emergency medical services within or outside of the rescue squad district not exceeding the reasonable cost of the service.

(f) In this Section:

"Emergency medical services" includes, without limitation, pre-hospital care.

"Pre-hospital care" has the meaning given to that term in Section 3.10 of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act. "Pre-hospital care" includes emergency services performed by a paramedic or other on-board emergency personnel that are within the scope of the provider's license under the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.".