Bill to create state office for emergency medical services passes house, passage uncertain in senate

Minnesota Now

The state of Minnesota could get a new office to regulate ambulance and other emergency medical services. That’s if the state Senate and Governor agree on a DFL proposal that passed the state House on Tuesday.

Supporters of the bill say it will help address a range of problems that are plaguing EMS, especially in rural areas of the state. An audit of the existing board that regulates these services found the state needs to plug holes in staffing, funding and oversight to make sure Minnesotans can count on getting emergency help when they call for it.

Republican Representative Jeff Backer is a volunteer EMT and a member of a task force dedicated to resolving these issues. He voted against the bill, saying it ties up too much money in government bureaucracy instead of funding services.

“We heard on the house floor today, we need an agency because we can trust them. We could probably spend four, five hours on listing all the agencies that have not been good stewards of taxpayers’ money,” said Rep. Backer.

A separate bipartisan proposal would help fund rural EMS services. Joining MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about the bill that passed the House Monday was its lead author, DFL Representative John Huot of Rosemount, who also is a former EMT.