H. B. 2744
(By Delegates Trump and Faircloth)
[Introduced February 11, 1999; referred to the
Committee on Government Organization.]
A BILL to amend and reenact section seventeen, article fifteen,
chapter seven of the code of West Virginia, one thousand
nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to the special
emergency ambulance service fees imposed by county
commissions and the ability of ambulance authorities and
companies to transport nonemergency users.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section seventeen, article fifteen, chapter seven of
the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one,
as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 15. EMERGENCY AMBULANCE SERVICE ACT OF 1975.
§7-15-17. Imposition and collection of special emergency
ambulance service fee by county commission.
A county commission may, by ordinance, impose upon and collect from the users of emergency ambulance service within the
county a special service fee, which shall be known as the
"special emergency ambulance service fee." The proceeds from the
imposition and collection of any such special service fee shall
be deposited in a special fund and used only to pay reasonable
and necessary expenses actually incurred and the cost of
buildings and equipment used in providing emergency ambulance
service to residents of the county. Such The proceeds may be
used to pay for, in whole or in part, the establishment,
maintenance and operation of an authority, as provided for in
this article: Provided, That an ambulance company or authority
receiving funds from the special emergency ambulance fees
collected pursuant to this section may not be precluded from
making nonemergency transports.
As used in this section, "users" means any person to whom
emergency ambulance service is made available under the
provisions of this article.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to authorize ambulance
companies and authorities accepting funds from the special
emergency ambulance service fee to transport nonemergency users.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken
from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language
that would be added.