S4826

An Act concerning the funding of first aid and emergency or volunteer ambulance or rescue squad associations and amending R.S.40:5-2.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. R.S.40:5-2 is amended to read as follows:

40:5-2. a. Any county, by resolution, or municipality, by ordinance, may make a voluntary contribution [of not more than $125,000] in an amount determined by resolution or ordinance pursuant to subsection d. of this section annually to any duly incorporated first aid and emergency or volunteer ambulance or rescue squad association of the county, or of any municipality therein, rendering service generally throughout the county, or any of the municipalities thereof. In addition, if any [such] associations experience extraordinary need, the county or municipality may contribute an additional amount [of not more than $70,000] determined by resolution or ordinance pursuant to subsection d. of this section annually; provided, however, that the need for [such] the additional funds is established by the association and is directly related to the performance of [said] the association's duties. Whenever the total annual county or municipal contribution to an association exceeds [$70,000] the additional amount determined by resolution or ordinance of subsection d. of this section, the chief financial officer of the county or municipality shall receive an audit performed by a certified public accountant or a registered municipal accountant of each association's financial records for the current year [which] that shall certify to the governing body of the county or municipality that [such] the records are being maintained in accordance with sound accounting principles.

b. Any county or municipality may appropriate [such] additional sums as it may deem necessary for the purchase of first aid, ambulance, rescue or other emergency vehicles, equipment, supplies, and materials for use by these associations, the title to which shall remain with the county or municipality, provided that the funds are controlled and disbursed by the county or municipality.

c. In the case of a joint purchase made by the governing bodies of two or more local units pursuant to the provisions of the "Consolidated Municipal Services Act," P.L.1952, c.72 (C.40:48B-1 et seq.), the title to the purchase shall be held by the joint meeting formed by the contracting governing bodies.

d. A county or municipality may enact a resolution or ordinance to determine amounts necessary to appropriately fund duly incorporated first aid ad emergency or volunteer ambulance or rescue squads of the county, or any municipality therein, which shall include, but not be limited to, consideration of the following criteria to meet the needs of residents and associations:

(1) a commitment to enter into a shared services agreement with another local unit or units pursuant to the "Uniform Shared Services and Consolidation Act," P.L.2007, c.63 (C.40A:65-1 through C.40A:65-35) for the purpose of sharing costs associated with the provision of emergency services;

(2) contracting directly with first aid and emergency or volunteer ambulance or rescue squad associations for the costs and provision of emergency services;

(3) establishing municipal or county grant programs to fund first aid and emergency or volunteer ambulance or rescue squad associations;

(4) a lease program where the county or municipality purchases and retains ownership of emergency service vehicles and equipment for use by a first aid and emergency or volunteer ambulance or rescue squad association;

(5) determining capital assistance to aid in the transfer of ownership of emergency service vehicles and equipment to an association;

(6) a funding cap and a method to determine additional financial assistance beyond the funding cap, as needed;

(7) an audit mechanism that permits the county or municipality to audit the use of funds over a determined threshold to ensure funds are being applied to the provision of emergency services;

(8) a provision to permit the municipality or county to recover funds discovered, through audit, to have been misspent by the association; and

(9) a regular public hearing schedule concerning the disclosure and use of municipal or county funds, or both, to support any first aid and emergency or volunteer ambulance or rescue squad association.

e. The Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs, in consultation with the Office of Emergency Medical Services in the Department of Health, shall prepare, adopt, and promulgate a model county resolution and a model municipal ordinance detailing various methods by which a county or municipality may contract with and fund a first aid and emergency or volunteer ambulance or rescue squad association, which may be adopted, in whole or in part, by a county or municipality.

(cf: P.L.2022, c.12, s.1)

2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill amends existing law to eliminate the county and municipal funding cap on voluntary contributions to first aid and emergency or volunteer ambulance or rescue squad associations (EMS squad). The bill replaces the Statewide funding cap by allowing a county or municipality to enact a resolution or ordinance, as appropriate, with consideration of certain criteria enumerated in the bill, to contract with and fund EMS squads in a more flexible manner to better suit the needs of individual municipalities and counties. The bill also directs the Division of Local Government Services, in consultation with the Office of Emergency Medical Services, to prepare, adopt, and promulgate a model county resolution and a model municipal ordinance detailing various methods by which a county or municipality may contract with and fund EMS squads, which may be adopted, in whole or in part, by a county or municipality.