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S 1513

Eliminates registration fees for distinctive plates for gold star mothers

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Jake Ashby and 1 co-sponsor

Creates a MA EMS task force to study sustainability, assess workforce, funding, and access, and recommend statutory, regulatory, and budget changes to preserve EMS.

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Bill Summary · S 1513

Note on sources
The materials you provided contain conflicting metadata (titles, sponsors, and procedural history) but include full bill text for a Massachusetts Senate bill titled “An Act establishing a task force to study the sustainability of emergency medical services” (Senate No. 1513, filed 1/17/2025, presented by Sen. William J. Driscoll, Jr.). The summary below describes that bill text. If you intended a different S 1513 (for example, a bill about distinctive license plates or about Medicaid emergency contraception), let me know and I will summarize that version instead.

Summary — S.1513 (MA): Task Force to Study Sustainability of Emergency Medical Services

Status (from text): Introduced in the Massachusetts Senate (Senate No. 1513, filed 1/17/2025).
Subject: Establishes a special task force to study structure, support and delivery of emergency medical services (EMS) in the Commonwealth.

Purpose / Intent

To convene a multi‑stakeholder task force to analyze the current EMS system in Massachusetts, identify threats to its sustainability (workforce, financing, organization, access), and produce recommendations — including statutory, regulatory, and budgetary changes — to preserve and improve EMS quality and access.

Key provisions

  • Creates a special task force convened by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) in collaboration with the Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Emergency Medical Care Advisory Board.
  • Leadership: EOHHS Secretary (or designee) and DPH Commissioner (or designee) serve as co‑chairs.
  • Membership: includes one representative each from (at minimum) the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association; Massachusetts Ambulance Association; Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts; Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts; Massachusetts Association of Behavioral Health Systems; Association for Behavioral Health Care; Massachusetts College of Emergency Physicians; Massachusetts Emergency Nurses Association; and Massachusetts Senior Care Association.
  • Scope of study: comprehensive review of EMS operations and impact on patient care, explicitly including:
    • Feasibility of designating EMS as an “essential service.”
    • Workforce development, recruitment, training, compensation, retention, and certification/licensure costs.
    • Costs vs. expenses of care and reimbursement rate methodologies, including consideration of cost‑based rates and higher rates for longer or remote transports (e.g., behavioral health transports).
    • Feasibility of reorganizing the Emergency Medical Care Advisory Board under the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.
    • Review of MassHealth non‑emergency wheelchair van brokerage program efficacy.
    • Impact of municipal ambulance contract exemptions from public bidding.
    • Administrative barriers to non‑emergency ambulance access/utilization.
    • Analysis of EMS point‑of‑entry protocols across urban, suburban, and rural settings (resource allocation, capacity).
    • Effects of external economic factors (e.g., minimum wage increases, cross‑industry competition) on EMS workforce.
    • Coverage/reimbursement for emerging models (mobile integrated health, alternative behavioral health transportation).
  • Convening and reporting deadlines:
    • First meeting required within 30 days of the act’s effective date.
    • Task force must submit a written report with findings and recommendations (and any statutory/regulatory/budgetary changes needed) to legislative leaders and relevant committees within six months of the effective date.

Who would be affected

  • EMS providers (private and municipal ambulance services), fire departments and firefighter EMS personnel, emergency physicians and nurses, hospitals and health systems.
  • Behavioral health providers and patients requiring transport to behavioral health facilities.
  • MassHealth (Medicaid) program operations and recipients (particularly non‑emergency transport services).
  • Municipal governments (contracting/procurement for ambulance services).
  • State agencies (EOHHS, DPH, Executive Office of Public Safety and Security) and legislative committees.

Potential impact

  • Could produce recommendations to modify reimbursement methodologies (including cost‑based rates and distance/time‑sensitive payments), change procurement practices, designate EMS as an essential service, shore up workforce pipelines and training, and expand or redesign non‑emergency transport programs.
  • Recommendations may require statutory or appropriations changes to implement; the bill itself does not authorize funding.
  • A focused, six‑month review could lead to near‑term legislative or regulatory proposals affecting EMS financing and organization across Massachusetts.

Procedural / timeline notes

  • Text requires rapid action by the task force: first convening within 30 days and final report within six months of the act’s effective date.
  • Given conflicting metadata in your packet, verify the official legislative source (Massachusetts Legislature website or bill tracking) for current status, exact filing date, sponsors, and committee referrals before citing or acting on the bill.

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

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