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A 5640

Relates to allowing for three forty-five day extensions of necessary and available emergency shelter for victims of domestic violence

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Joe Sempolinski

Designates basic life support as an essential municipal service and requires towns to ensure BLS coverage, with state funding and diverse delivery options.

REFERRED TO SOCIAL SERVICES
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Bill Summary · A 5640

Bill A 5640 — Summary (Introduced Version)

Note: The bill’s title mentions extending emergency shelter for domestic violence victims, but the introduced version content provided focuses on basic life support services (BLS) and related municipal provisions.

Overview

  • Bill Number: A 5640
  • Introduced: May 8, 2025
  • Status: Referred to Social Services (with prior referral to Assembly Health)
  • Sponsor: Joseph Sempolinski (primary)
  • Purpose (as introduced): Establish and fund basic life support as an essential municipal service, delineate how BLS can be provided, and set oversight and reimbursement mechanisms.

Intent and scope

  • The bill designates basic life support (BLS) as an essential service in New Jersey.
  • Each municipality would be responsible for ensuring BLS and ambulance services meet the needs of its population.
  • A range of delivery models is authorized, including private licensing/franchising, public/private/nonprofit contracting, mutual aid agreements between municipalities, or agreements with a hospital.

Key provisions

Definitions

  • Basic life support ambulance service: A licensed entity that provides pre-hospital BLS care.
  • Basic life support service: A basic level of pre-hospital care including BLS ambulance services, patient stabilization, airway clearance, CPR, hemorrhage control, initial wound care, fracture stabilization, and other commissioner-approved techniques.

Essential service designation

  • BLS is deemed an essential service.
  • Municipalities must provide BLS to meet population needs.

Delivery options for BLS

  • License or franchise to a private company.
  • Contract with a public, private, or nonprofit entity.
  • Mutual aid agreement with at least one other municipality (per existing mutual aid framework).
  • Agreement with a hospital (as an alternative delivery mechanism).

Amendments to related law

  • Makes conforming changes to P.L.1993, c.58 (C.26:2K-61) to authorize mutual aid and payment/repair terms, including:

    • Payment terms for services per hour supplied.
    • Reimbursement for damage to equipment and for injuries, with provisions for survivors in the event of death.
    • Joint meetings for discussed matters.

  • Amends P.L.2015, c.70 (C.26:2K-12.1):

    • A Level 1 trauma center hospital that operates advanced life support (ALS) may have the right of first refusal to provide both ALS and BLS within a municipality, at no charge if the municipality does not provide BLS as a municipal service or shared service.
    • Hospitals with ALS oversight would be subject to the Department of Health’s oversight (N.J.A.C. 8:33).
    • Allows expedited review for ALS expansion to additional municipalities within connected health system regions, under specific historical timelines (as previously established by the act).

Funding and reimbursement

  • An appropriation from the General Fund to the Department of Health is authorized, sufficient to reimburse municipalities for establishing BLS as an essential service, subject to Commissioner certification and budget director approval.

Effective date

  • The act would take effect on the first day of the seventh month after enactment.

Procedural and timeline notes

  • Legislative actions show initial introduction in May 2025, with prior and ongoing referrals to Social Services and Health/related committees.
  • The content references existing statutes for mutual aid and hospital-based BLS/ALS arrangements, indicating an intent to integrate and potentially expand current frameworks.

Potential impact

  • Municipalities would be required to ensure BLS coverage, choosing among authorized delivery methods.
  • Hospitals and EMS providers may gain expanded roles or preferred status in BLS delivery under certain conditions.
  • State funding would be available to reimburse municipalities for establishing BLS as an essential service.
  • The bill would affect EMS governance, intergovernmental partnerships, and oversight requirements administered by the Department of Health.

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

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