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HF 362

A bill for an act designating emergency medical services as an essential county purpose.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Megan Jones

Designates emergency medical services as an essential county purpose, letting counties finance EMS projects with debt without voter approval.

Tabled until future meeting.
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Bill Summary · HF 362

HF 362 — Summary

Overview

HF 362, introduced February 12, 2025, is a bill intended to designate emergency medical services (EMS) as an essential county purpose. The primary sponsor is Jones. The bill has been tabled for now, with active committee activity continuing (subcommittee meetings planned).

What the bill would do

  • Add EMS to the list of activities that qualify as an “essential county purpose.”
  • Allow county boards of supervisors to finance EMS projects as an essential county purpose through general obligation bonds or other indebtedness without requiring voter approval at an election. By contrast, general obligations for a general county purpose typically require voter approval.
  • Specifically reference funding and refunding of EMS to be treated as an essential county purpose under the existing debt-issuance framework.

Section-by-section (highlights)

  • Section 1: Amends Code section 331.441, subsection 2, paragraph (b) by adding a new subparagraph (21).
    • New subparagraph (21) designates “Funding and refunding of emergency medical services as defined in section 147A.1, subsection 5” as part of the essential county purpose.
  • The bill relies on EMS as defined in section 147A.1, subsection 5 to identify the scope of EMS activities eligible for this designation.

Key provisions and changes

  • Creates a statutory basis for counties to finance EMS initiatives (capital projects, equipment, facilities, etc.) without local voter referenda, as long as the project qualifies as an essential county purpose.
  • Changes the threshold for debt approval in practice for EMS-related projects, aligning EMS funding with other essential county functions that can bypass voter approval under Code chapter 331.

Who is affected

  • County boards of supervisors and county governments, as the entities authorized to issue general obligation bonds or incur indebtedness.
  • Emergency medical services providers and EMS infrastructure projects that would be funded/refunded via these debt mechanisms.
  • Taxpayers and residents who may bear debt service costs through local taxes or assessments, depending on how counties finance EMS initiatives.

Procedural timeline and actions

  • Introduced: February 12, 2025.
  • Referred to: Ways and Means.
  • Subcommittee actions:
    • February 26, 2025: Subcommittee chaired by Jones, Behn, and Judge.
    • March 4, 2025: Subcommittee meeting scheduled (03/11/2025 at 8:30 AM in the House Lounge).
  • Status: Tabled until future meeting (as of the latest update).

Sponsor and committee stance

  • Primary sponsor: Jones.
  • The bill is undergoing committee review with a subcommittee process; the current status indicates continued consideration but no final passage at this time.

Notes

  • The bill explicitly notes that the inclusion of the explanation does not reflect agreement with the explanation’s substance.
  • The essential policy shift rests on reclassifying EMS funding as an essential county purpose, enabling debt financing without voter approval under existing bond issuance provisions.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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