Section 311A.024 - Emergency Medical Services Education Grant Program - Establishment - Terms - Fund - Board oversight and administration(1) There is hereby established an Emergency Medical Services Education Grant Program overseen by the board to increase the number of persons seeking paramedic initial certification, provide more facilities for certification, and encourage persons to be employed by Class I ground ambulance providers located in Kentucky. The program shall consist of three (3) components: (a) Student tuition support;(c) Emergency medical services training or educational institution support.(2) The student tuition support component shall be used for the training and education of individuals seeking initial paramedic certification under this chapter who are employed by a Class I ground ambulance provider. The tuition support shall be paid periodically to the emergency medical services training or education institution in which the person is enrolled seeking paramedic certification. The board shall, at a minimum, promulgate administrative regulations on the following aspects of this component:(a) Time limits for the individual seeking initial paramedic certification to complete certification and begin or continue service with a Class I ground ambulance provider;(b) Minimum service length requirements that may be imposed by the board, by contract, or both, on the individual seeking initial paramedic certification;(c) Uses of the funds, including but not limited to a prohibition against spending funds on prerequisite courses not included in the core course content of the paramedic certification program;(d) Providing priority consideration for geographic areas that are underserved in terms of paramedic coverage, including those with lower populations and higher emergency medical response times, and for agencies that do not meet national standards of minimum staffing levels or response times for the dispatch of emergency medical care; and(e) Any other aspect necessary to implement the student tuition support component.(3) The agency support component shall be used to reimburse Class I ground ambulance providers the wages paid to an employee while the employee seeks initial paramedic certification. The board shall, at a minimum, promulgate administrative regulations on the following aspects of this component:(a) Maximum reimbursement for each employee of a Class I ground ambulance provider seeking initial paramedic certification;(b) Maximum number of employees eligible for wage reimbursement within each Class I ground ambulance provider; and(c) Any other aspect necessary to implement the agency support component.(4) The emergency medical services training or educational institution support component shall be used to provide funding to existing and start-up emergency medical service training and educational institutes that are certified or seeking certification by the board and that offer or will offer initial education courses for emergency medical technician, advanced emergency medical technician, and paramedic programs. The board shall, at a minimum, promulgate administrative regulations on the following aspects of this component:(a) Grant ceilings per applicant;(b) Applicant qualification priorities, including but not limited to those that are nonprofit entities operating under KRS Chapter 273 and those that are serving or plan to serve areas in need of improved emergency medical service coverage;(c) Time limits for commencing the classes or programs for which the grant was sought;(d)1. Eligible costs, which shall include but not be limited to: a. Computer and computer-related equipment and software;b. Medical and training equipment, such as cardiac monitors, defibrillators, mannequins, and other medical equipment, personal protective gear, and durable emergency medical and trauma education simulation equipment;c. Personnel costs used in directly delivering the education program; andd. Services used in operating the program; and2. Ineligible costs, which shall include but not be limited to:a. Real property purchases or improvements;b. Building construction, renovation, or maintenance;c. Personnel costs not directly related to delivering the education program, such as that related to educator training, including travel and meals, and perquisites that are part of a compensation package;e. Uniforms and clothing; and(e) Any other aspect necessary to implement the emergency medical services training or educational institution support component.(5)(a) There is established in the State Treasury a trust and agency account to be known as the emergency medical services education grant fund.(b) The fund shall be administered by the Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services.(c) The fund shall consist of state appropriations, contributions, donations, and gifts.(d) Amounts deposited in the fund shall be used for the purposes outlined under this section.(e) Notwithstanding KRS 45.229, fund amounts not expended at the close of a fiscal year shall not lapse but shall remain in the fund.(f) Moneys deposited in the fund are hereby appropriated for the purposes set forth in this section.(6) The board shall administer the Emergency Medical Services Education Grant Program. The board may cease any or all components of the program once the desired goals have been achieved in the judgement of the board. The board shall provide staffing for the program and may use moneys in the emergency medical services education grant fund to do so. Staffing and administrative costs shall not exceed five percent (5%) of the fund amount. The board may promulgate any administrative regulations necessary, in addition to those listed in subsections (2) to (4) of this section, for its implementation and operation.Effective: 7/15/2024
Created 2024 Ky. Acts ch. 217, sec. 1, effective 7/15/2024.