Regional Ambulance Services Law (55 ILCS 110/)

Chapter 55 — Counties

This text is maintained by the Legislative Reference Bureau for legislative drafting purposes and is NOT the official text of the Illinois Compiled Statutes; the only official copy is the printed copy maintained by the Secretary of State.

Sec. 1001. Short title

This Article may be cited as the Regional Ambulance Services Law.

(Source: P.A. 86-1187.)

Sec. 1002. Findings

The General Assembly finds that an increasingly larger number of elderly persons, in proportion to other age groups, reside in the rural areas of the State in comparison to the urban areas. The General Assembly further finds that changing economic conditions in rural areas and in designated shortage areas have affected the delivery of health care and that State and federal health care reimbursement systems and other cost containment efforts have also had an adverse impact upon the State health care delivery system. It is the intent of the General Assembly, in response to this deficiency of appropriate health care, to establish a regional ambulance system to improve the delivery of health care services in rural areas and designated shortage areas of the State.

(Source: P.A. 86-1187.)

Sec. 1003. Definitions

For the purposes of this Law, unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) "Board" means any regional ambulance system board established pursuant to this Law.

(b) "Department" means the Department of Public Health.

(c) "Designated shortage area" means a medically underserved area or health manpower shortage area as defined by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, or a designated shortage area determined by the Department of Public Health.

(d) "Regional ambulance services" means ambulance services used by 2 or more counties.

(Source: P.A. 86-1187.)

Sec. 1004. Grants

The Director of Public Health is hereby authorized to make grants to assist counties in the establishment and operation of regional ambulance systems, subject to amounts appropriated for that purpose.

(Source: P.A. 86-1187.)

Sec. 1005. Formation

Two or more contiguous counties (a) having an aggregate population of 20,000 or fewer persons, or (b) comprising all counties within a region designated pursuant to "An Act to provide for regional planning and for the creation, organization and powers of regional planning commissions", approved June 25, 1912, and situated within the same region designated pursuant to that Act, or (c) comprising all counties within a designated shortage area, may qualify for a grant authorized by this Law by the enactment of appropriate resolutions creating a regional ambulance system board, as provided in Section 1006, and designating the officer or agency to be responsible for administering grant funds.

(Source: P.A. 86-1187.)

Sec. 1006. Boards

(a) Each regional ambulance system established pursuant to this Law shall consist of at least 3 members from each of the participating counties.

(b) Each member of a board shall be appointed by the presiding officer of his or her respective county board and shall serve for a term of 2 years from the date of appointment and until his or her successor is duly appointed. The board may elect its own officers.

(c) The board shall make formal recommendations to the county boards at least annually concerning the operation of the regional ambulance system under its jurisdiction.

(d) All proceedings of the board and any committee or other subgroup of the board shall be open to the public.

(Source: P.A. 86-1187.)

Sec. 1007. Operation

(a) Each board shall conduct an ambulance service needs assessment in the counties under its jurisdiction and develop a plan for regional ambulance services, including the development of resources and coordination with existing ambulance services.

(b) Each board may establish a system of regional ambulance services within the counties under its jurisdiction pursuant to the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act. Each board also may enter into agreements with private providers of ambulance services to augment the regional ambulance services. Any such agreement shall provide for coordination of the private ambulance services with the regional ambulance services.

(c) Each board may apply to administer jointly, with the counties under its jurisdiction, any State financial assistance that may be awarded under this Law.

(Source: P.A. 86-1187.)

Sec. 1008. Grant criteria

The Department shall, pursuant to The Illinois Administrative Procedure Act, adopt rules establishing standards of eligibility for counties to receive grants that may be awarded under this Law.

(Source: P.A. 86-1187.)