A 2384 — Requires DOH to develop Statewide Emergency Medical Services Plan.

A2384 1R [First Reprint] ASSEMBLY, No.

District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)  Assemblyman   STERLEY  S.   SYNOPSIS      Requires DOH to develop Statewide Emergency Medical Services Plan.

 STANLEY CURRENTDistrict VERSION18 OF(Middlesex) TEXTAssemblywoman      CAROL IntroducedA. Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

MURPHY District 7 (Burlington)         SYNOPSIS      Requires DOH to develop Statewide Emergency Medical Services Plan.

  CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT      As reported by the Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee on May 28, 2026, with amendments.

upon approval, the regional plan shall be deemed to be part of the Statewide plan.  The office shall review and update the Statewide plan triennially, and shall make such1[such] any1 changes to the plan as may be necessary to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the State’s emergency medical services system of care.  The department shall make the Statewide Emergency Medical Services Plan available on its Internet website.

     (1)  (1)  conduct an inventory of emergency medical services resources available within the State;

     (2)  (2)  conduct an assessment of the current effectiveness of the emergency medical services system of care in the State;

     (3)  (3)  determine the need for changes to the current emergency medical services system of care in the State, including any changes as may be needed to improve access to emergency medical services in a given region of the State or for a given population within the State;

     (4)  (4)  develop performance metrics with regard to the delivery of emergency medical services in the State, establish a schedule for achieving the performance metrics, develop a method for monitoring and evaluating whether the performance metrics are being achieved, and prepare an estimate of costs for achieving the performance metrics;

     (5)  (5)  work with professional medical organizations, hospitals, and other public and private agencies to develop approaches whereby individuals who presently use the existing emergency department for routine, nonurgent, primary medical care will be served more appropriately and economically;

and      (6)  (6)  consult with and review, with appropriate emergency medical services providers and organizations, the development of applications to governmental or other appropriate sources for grants or other funding to support emergency medical services programs.

     c.    c.    The Statewide Emergency Medical Services Plan developed pursuant to subsection a.

     (1)  (1)  establish a comprehensive Statewide emergency medical services system, incorporating facilities, transportation, manpower, communications, and other components as integral parts of a unified system that will serve to improve the delivery of emergency medical services and thereby decrease morbidity, hospitalization, disability, and mortality;

     (2)  (2)  seek to reduce the time period between the identification of an acutely ill or injured patient and the provision of definitive treatment for the illness or injury;

     (3)  (3)  increase access to high quality emergency medical services for all citizens of New Jersey;

     (4)  (4)  promote continuing improvement in system components, including:  ground, water, and air transportation;

     (5)  (5)  ensure performance improvement of the emergency medical services system and of the emergency medical services and care delivered on scene, in transit, in hospital emergency departments, and within the hospital environment;

     (6)  (6)  conduct, promote, and encourage programs of education and training designed to upgrade the knowledge and skills of emergency medical services personnel, including expanding the availability of paramedic and advanced life support training throughout the State, with particular emphasis on regions underserved by emergency medical services personnel having such skills and training;

     (7)  (7)  maintain a process for designating appropriate hospitals as trauma centers, certified stroke centers, and specialty care centers based on an applicable national evaluation system;

     (8)  (8)  maintain a comprehensive emergency medical services patient care data collection and performance improvement system, which shall incorporate the information reported to the department pursuant to section 2 of P.L.2017, c.116 (C.26:2K-67);

     (9)  (9)  collect data and information and prepare reports for the sole purpose of designating and verifying trauma centers and other specialty care centers, as described in paragraph (7) of this subsection;

provided that data and information collected and reports prepared pursuant to this paragraph shall not be considered a government record pursuant to P.L.1963, c.73 (C.47:1A-1 et seq.),seq.) 1[,] or1 P.L.2001, c.404 (C.47:1A-5 et al.),al.) 1[, or the common law concerning access to government records;records]1;

and      (14)  identify and establish best practices for managing and operating emergency medical services providers, improving and managing emergency medical services response times, and disseminating such1[such] this1 information to the appropriate persons and entities.

    STATEMENT        This bill requires the Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS) in the Department of Health (DOH) to develop a Statewide Emergency Medical Services Plan that provides for a comprehensive, coordinated, emergency medical services (EMS) system in New Jersey.  The plan is to include both short-term and long-term goals and objectives, and may incorporate the use of regional emergency medical services plans tailored to the specific needs of regions within the State as may be designated by the OEMS.  If used, regional plans are to be jointly developed by each county board of health within the designated region, and will be developed in consultation with local boards of health, as needed.  Regional plans will be subject to approval by the OEMS;

upon receiving such approval, the regional plan will be deemed to be part of the Statewide plan.  The OEMS will be required to review and update the Statewide plan triennially, and to make such changes to the plan as may be necessary to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the State’s EMS system of care.  The DOH will be required to make the Statewide Emergency Medical Services Plan available on its Internet website.

     In developing and updating the Statewide Emergency Medical Services Plan, the OEMS will be required, at a minimum, to:

     (1)   conduct an inventory of EMS resources available within the State;

     (2)   conduct an assessment of the current effectiveness of the EMS system of care in the State;

     (3)   determine the need for changes to the current EMS system of care, including any changes as may be needed to improve access to EMS in a given region of the State or for a given population within the State;

     (4)   develop performance metrics with regard to the delivery of EMS, establish a schedule for achieving the performance metrics, develop a method for monitoring and evaluating whether the performance metrics are being achieved, and prepare a cost estimate for achieving the performance metrics;

     (5)   work with professional medical organizations, hospitals, and other public and private agencies to develop approaches whereby individuals who presently use the existing emergency department for routine, nonurgent, primary medical care will be served more appropriately and economically;

and      (6)   consult with and review, with appropriate EMS agencies and organizations, the development of applications to governmental or other appropriate sources for grants or other funding to support EMS programs.

     The bill additionally requires the Statewide Emergency Medical Services Plan to:

     (1)   establish a comprehensive Statewide EMS system, incorporating facilities, transportation, manpower, communications, and other components as integral parts of a unified system that will serve to improve the delivery of EMS and thereby decrease morbidity, hospitalization, disability, and mortality;

     (2)   seek to reduce the time period between the identification of an acutely ill or injured patient and the provision of definitive treatment for the illness or injury;

     (3)   increase access to high quality EMS for all citizens of New Jersey;

     (4)   promote continuing improvement in system components, including:  ground, water, and air transportation;

communications;

hospital emergency departments and other emergency medical care facilities;