HB 26-1238

House Bill 26-1238, now signed into law in Colorado, declares that emergency medical services are essential and integral to the state's healthcare system. This means that both paid and volunteer EMS providers who offer ambulance services—both urgent and nonurgent—are considered to be providing an essential service wherever they operate. The bill also updates definitions related to these services and clarifies that off-duty EMS workers do not have a duty to respond to medical emergencies. This law aims to ensure better support for emergency medical services and their providers across the state.

Official Summary

The act declares emergency medical services as an essential service in the state and an integral part of the state's health-care infrastructure.      The act also declares that emergency medical service providers, whether responding on duty or as a volunteer and regardless of location, provide essential services when providing emergency ambulance services and nonemergency ambulance services.      The act also updates certain definitions related to emergency medical services, including the addition of a definition of 'out-of-hospital services', which term is defined to mean the furnishing of necessary health-care goods and services outside of a hospital setting but does not include prehospital setting transports.     The act clarifies that an off-duty emergency medical service provider is not obligated to respond to the scene of a medical emergency or provide emergency medical services.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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