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HB 1841

Appropriation; City of Port Gibson for constructing a police station and purchasing motor vehicles.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Jeffery Harness

Creates the ARRIVES Fund to distribute state revenues to eligible EMS agencies, strengthening county ambulance capacity with tier-based allocations and rules.

Died In Committee
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Bill Summary · HB 1841

Summary — HB 1841 (ARRIVES Act / EMS Fund)

Note: The materials provided for “HB 1841” contain mixed and partially conflicting content from multiple jurisdictions and sessions (including Arkansas and Illinois text and a separate appropriation title). This summary focuses on the substantive Arkansas bill text contained in the packet — the “Arkansas Revenue Investment in Vital EMS Systems (ARRIVES) Act” — and highlights key provisions, impacts, and unresolved items. Confirm the bill number/state/session with your source if you need the legislative status certified.

Purpose and intent

The bill would create a dedicated special revenue fund (the Arkansas Revenue Investment in Vital EMS Systems — “ARRIVES” Fund) and an implementing subchapter in Arkansas law to distribute money to eligible emergency medical services (EMS) agencies. Its stated purpose is to invest state revenues to strengthen emergency ambulance/EMS capacity across Arkansas counties.

Key provisions

  • Creates the ARRIVES Fund (Ark. Code § 19-6-846): a special revenue fund held by state fiscal officers to hold revenues “as may be authorized by law” for distribution to EMS agencies.
  • Adds Subchapter 19 to Ark. Code Title 20, Ch. 13 (20-13-1901 et seq.), titled the “ARRIVES Act.”
  • Eligibility (20-13-1902):
    • Applicant EMS agency must be state‑licensed and in good standing for at least 3 years prior to application.
    • Be the “provider of record” for a county or municipality for at least 12 months (unless selected by competitive bid).
    • Provide advanced life support (ALS) ground ambulance services — or provide basic life support (BLS) and commit to licensing/operating an ALS ambulance within one year of funding.
    • Ineligible if under state sanction or disciplinary action, under a federal Corporate Integrity Agreement, primarily provide non‑emergency transport, are volunteer EMS providers, or are first‑responder agencies without 24/7 ALS ambulance operations.
  • Application (20-13-1903): Agencies apply to the State Board of Health and must submit proof of state EMS licensure, a certificate of good standing, articles of incorporation, and proof of insurance.
  • Disbursement methodology (20-13-1904):
    • Counties are assigned a tier based on most recent federal decennial census:
    • Tier 1: ≥100,000 inhabitants
    • Tier 2: 50,000–99,999
    • Tier 3: 25,000–49,999
    • Tier 4: 10,000–24,999
    • Tier 5: <10,000
    • The Department of Health shall disburse fund moneys to qualified EMS agencies in a county according to percentages tied to the county tier. The bill text lists these percentages by tier:
    • Tier 1: 2.76%
    • Tier 2: 3.45%
    • Tier 3: 12.44%
    • Tier 4: 60.62%
    • Tier 5: 20.73%
    • (The bill does not specify whether those percentages are of the statewide fund, of each county allocation, or otherwise — the statutory language as provided is imprecise.)
  • Rulemaking (20-13-1905): The State Board of Health is authorized to promulgate rules to implement the subchapter.

Who is affected

  • Primary beneficiaries: eligible licensed EMS agencies that provide or will provide ALS ground ambulance services and serve as a county/municipal provider of record.
  • Indirectly affected: counties and municipalities that rely on ambulance/EMS coverage; patients in underserved or rural areas could see strengthened EMS capacity depending on funding.
  • Excluded: volunteer-only EMS, non‑emergency transport providers, agencies under sanctions or certain federal agreements.

Fiscal and procedural notes / uncertainties

  • The bill creates the fund but does not clearly identify the revenue source(s) (the phrase “the fund shall consist of such revenues as may be authorized by law” leaves the revenue stream unspecified).
  • The disbursement percentages appear in the draft but their application mechanism is unclear (e.g., per-county share vs. statewide allocation by tier). The Department of Health rules are needed to operationalize distribution.
  • The provided packet contains conflicting administrative records and other states’ text; verify final bill text and enactment status with the Arkansas legislative database or the clerk’s office.
  • Provided status at the top of the packet indicates “Died In Committee.” If enacted or amended elsewhere in the packet, reconcile with the official legislative record.

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

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