Struck = removed from the bill ·
added = the amendment's new text.
Enrolled Copy H.B.
417 Patient Interfacility Transportation Requirements GENERAL SESSION STATE OF UTAH Chief Sponsor:
Sahara Hayes Senate Sponsor:
Keith Grover 3 LONG TITLE General Description:
This bill enacts provisions related to patient interfacility transportation.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
▸ defines terms;
▸ requires a health care facility to allow a patient to use non-medical transportation to another health care facility under certain circumstances;
▸ requires a health care facility to provide a notice;
▸ enacts provisions for admissions and billing for a receiving health care facility;
and ▸ enacts liability protections for originating health care facilities and health care providers under certain circumstances.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None Other Special Clauses:
None Utah Code Sections Affected:
ENACTS:
26B-2-244, Utah Code Annotated 1953 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1.
Section 26B-2-244 is enacted to read:
26B-2-244 .
Non-medical transport -- Receiving health care facility requirements.
(1) As used in this section:
(a) "Adequate time" means:
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or1. (ii) for an originating facility not described in Subsection (1)(a)(i), two hours of being discharged by the originating facility.
(b)Line "Ambulance8 transportation"through means14: transportation provided by a person licensed under Title 53, Chapter 2d, Emergency Medical Services Act.
(c)→defines "Healthterms; care provider" means:
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(ii)→requires a physicianhealth assistantcare licensedfacility underto Titleprovide 58,a Chapternotice 70a,{ Utahand Physicianassist Assistantin Act;arranging the transportation} ;
or→enacts (iii)provisions anfor advancedadmissions practiceand registeredbilling nursefor licenseda underreceiving Subsectionhealth 58-31b-301(2)(e).care facility;
(d)and "Interfacility→enacts transfer"liability meansprotections thefor transferringoriginating ofhealth acare patientfacilities betweenand anhealth originatingcare facilityproviders andunder acertain receivingcircumstances. facility.
(e)(i)2. "Non-medical transportation" means transportation that does not:
(A)Line provide53 medicalthrough services63: during transport;
or (B) employ or provide trained medical personnel for transporting an individual.
(ii) "Non-medical transportation" includes transportation provided by a family member or public transit.
(f) "Originating facility" means a health care facility where a patient is currently admitted or being treated.
(g) "Receiving facility" means a health care facility that will receive a patient from an originating facility.
(2) A health care facility shall allow a patient to use non-medical transportation for an interfacility transfer if:
(a) the patient is not subject to:
(i) temporary commitment described in Section 26B-5-331;
or (ii) involuntary commitment described in Section 26B-5-332;
(b) the patient's health care provider at the originating facility determines that:
and -(c) 2the -transfer Enrolledwould Copynot H.B.violate the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act described in 42 U.S.C.
417 (c) the transfer would not violate the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act described in 42 U.S.C.
(c)- the1 patient- may be responsible for the cost of ambulance transportation;
and (d) the current transportation rate and mileage rate established under Section 53-2d-503.
(5) If a patient uses non-medical transportation as described in this section and arrives at the receiving facility within adequate time, the receiving facility may not:
(a) charge the patient or the patient's insurance or other health benefit plan for admission or readmission services unless medical staff have reason to believe the patient's medical condition has changed from when the originating facility discharged the patient to the time of the patient's arrival at the receiving facility;
or (b) assign the available bed that the patient was offered upon discharge from the originating facility to an individual that is not the patient.
(6) An originating facility or health care provider is immune from civil action for acts or omissions made when allowing a patient to use non-medical transportation if the patient's medical or mental condition at the time the originating facility discharges the patient did not require ambulance transportation to the receiving facility.
(7) Nothing in this section restricts a patient's ability to refuse health care services, including any form of transportation.
Section 2.
Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on May 6, 2026.
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