An Act To License Ambulance Drivers Who Are Not Licensed To Provide Emergency Medical Services
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 1605
Committee: Criminal Justice and Public Safety
Sponsors: McDONALD
Amends: 32 MRSA §82, 32 MRSA §83, 32 MRSA §85-B

Legislative Document
No. 1605
H.P. 1194
House of Representatives, April 27, 2021
An Act To License Ambulance Drivers Who Are Not Licensed To 
Provide Emergency Medical Services
Reference to the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety suggested and ordered 
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative McDONALD of Stonington.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  32 MRSA §82, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2007, c. 274, §2, is further 
amended to read:
1.  Licenses required.  An ambulance service, ambulance, nontransporting emergency 
medical service, emergency medical services person, emergency medical services 
ambulance operator, emergency medical dispatch center or emergency medical dispatcher 
may not operate or practice unless duly licensed by the Emergency Medical Services' Board 
pursuant to this chapter, except as stated in subsection 2.
Sec. 2.  32 MRSA §83, sub-§12-A is enacted to read:
12-A.  Emergency medical services ambulance operator.  "Emergency medical 
services ambulance operator" means a person associated with a licensed ground ambulance 
service who operates an ambulance in emergency mode or transports patients and is not 
licensed under section 85.
Sec. 3.  32 MRSA §85-B is enacted to read:
§85-B.  Emergency medical services ambulance operators
1.  Mandatory qualifications.  The board, in consultation with the Emergency 
Services Communication Bureau within the Public Utilities Commission, shall adopt rules 
governing qualifications for and standards to be observed by emergency medical services 
ambulance operators, including:
A.  Establishing licensing requirements for emergency medical services ambulance 
operators;
B.  Establishing minimal education and continuing education requirements for 
emergency medical services ambulance operators;
C.  Providing for Maine Emergency Medical Services approval of training programs 
for emergency medical services ambulance operators that are conducted in accordance 
with standards approved by the board; and
D.  Establishing requirements for holding a valid state driver’s license pursuant to Title 
29-A, chapter 11, subchapter 1.
2.  Background check.  The board shall obtain criminal history record information 
containing a record of public criminal history record information as defined in Title 16, 
section 703, subsection 8 for an applicant for licensure under this section.  Information 
obtained pursuant to this subsection is confidential and may be used only to determine 
suitability for issuance of a license to operate an emergency medical services ambulance.  
The results of criminal history record information checks received by the board are for 
official use only and may not be disseminated outside the board.  The applicant for licensure 
shall pay the expense of obtaining the information required by this subsection.
3.  Persons requiring a license to operate an emergency medical services 
ambulance.  A person not licensed under section 85 who is associated with a ground 
ambulance service shall obtain a license under this section to operate an emergency medical 
services ambulance.  This section does not apply to a person not associated with a ground 
ambulance service who operates an emergency medical services ambulance.
4.  Licensing actions.  A license issued under this section is subject to the provisions 
of sections 90-A and 91-A.  Before the board or a subcommittee or staff of the board takes 
a final action to suspend, revoke or refuse to reissue an emergency medical services 
ambulance operator license, the board shall contact the Emergency Services 
Communication Bureau within the Public Utilities Commission for input on the effect of 
such action on the E-9-1-1 system and, notwithstanding section 91-B, may, to the extent 
necessary, disclose to the bureau information that is designated as confidential under 
section 91-B.
5.  Effect on tort claims.  This section does not increase any liability that may arise or 
be limited under Title 14, chapter 741.
6.  Rules.  The board shall adopt rules to carry out the purposes of this section.  Rules 
adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 
375, subchapter 2-A.
SUMMARY
This bill establishes a licensing requirement for a person associated with a ground 
ambulance service who is not a licensed emergency medical services person and who 
operates an ambulance in emergency mode or transports patients.