An Act To Establish the Southern Aroostook County Emergency Medical Services Authority (AFTER DEADLINE)
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 1699
Committee: Criminal Justice and Public Safety
Sponsors: STEWART, QUINT

Legislative Document
No. 1699
S.P. 554
In Senate, May 12, 2021
An Act To Establish the Southern Aroostook County Emergency 
Medical Services Authority
(AFTER DEADLINE)
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
205.
Received by the Secretary of the Senate on May 10, 2021.  Referred to the Committee on 
Criminal Justice and Public Safety pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator STEWART of Aroostook.
Cosponsored by Representative: QUINT of Hodgdon.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  Establishment.  The Southern Aroostook County Emergency Medical 
Services Authority, referred to in this Act as "the authority," is established to facilitate the 
provision of emergency medical services to the residents of the towns of Amity, Hammond, 
Hodgdon, Linneus, Littleton, Ludlow, Merrill, Monticello and Smyrna, referred to in this 
Act as "the member towns."
Sec. 2.  Board of directors.  The authority is governed by a board of directors, 
referred to in this Act as "the board."  The board consists of 27 members:
1.  Three from Amity, appointed by its municipal officers;
2.  Three from Hammond, appointed by its municipal officers;
3.  Three from Hodgdon, appointed by its municipal officers;
4.  Three from Linneus, appointed by its municipal officers.
5.  Three from Littleton, appointed by its municipal officers;
6.  Three from Ludlow, appointed by its municipal officers;
7.  Three from Merrill, appointed by its municipal officers;
8.  Three from Monticello, appointed by its municipal officers; and
9.  Three from Smyrna, appointed by its municipal officers.
For the purposes of this section, "municipal officers" has the same meaning as in the 
Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, section 2001, subsection 10.
The members of the board are appointed for terms of 2 years, except that one of the 
initial members from each municipality is appointed for a term of 3 years.  The members 
may be reappointed at the pleasure of the municipal officers.
Sec. 3.  Powers.  The authority may:
1.  Employ and compensate personnel, consultants, technical and professional 
assistants and an emergency medical services medical director;
2.  Make and enter into contracts and agreements and, pursuant to the bylaws of the 
authority, purchase or lease all vehicles and equipment necessary to provide emergency 
medical services to members;
3.  Hold public hearings and sponsor public forums;
4.  Sue and be sued in its own name;
5.  Accept funds, grants and services from federal, state, county and municipal 
governments or any agency thereof, gifts and stipends from its member towns and private 
gifts from individuals and entities; and
6.  Apply for and accept loans and allocate and disburse funds received to carry out the 
purposes of the authority.
Debts of the authority authorized under this Act do not constitute or create any debt or 
liability on behalf of the State.  Debts incurred under this Act do not directly, indirectly or 
contingently obligate the State to levy or to pledge any form of taxation or to make any 
appropriation for their payment.  This section may not be construed to prevent the authority 
from pledging its full faith and credit to the payment of loans or other debts authorized 
pursuant to this Act.
Sec. 4.  Duties.  The authority shall:
1.  Prepare an annual budget and require an annual audit that is made available for 
public inspection;
2.  Follow uniform standards provided in the Maine Revised Statutes insofar as they 
relate to Department of Public Safety rules;
3.  Make provisions for emergency medical services in the member towns and, on a 
contract basis, other areas where new services are to be provided; however, where 
emergency medical services are already provided by existing services, they are not 
abolished by this Act without the express consent of the governing body of the area where 
services are being provided and vote of the existing medical services board;
4.  Implement a subscription membership program unless otherwise prohibited by law; 
and
5.  Set and annually adjust an approved cost-basis schedule that is uniform throughout 
the member towns.
Sec. 5.  Organization; conduct of business.  The board must be organized and its 
business must be conducted in accordance with the following.
1.  The board shall elect a chair, vice-chair, secretary and treasurer from among its 
members.
2.  The secretary shall keep a record of the board's meetings.  These records are public 
records as defined in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 1, section 402, subsection 3.
3.  The treasurer shall keep records of the board's transactions.  These records are public 
records as defined in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 1, section 402, subsection 3.
4.  The treasurer must be bonded in an amount to be determined by the board.
5.  A quorum of the board is established in the bylaws of the authority and must include 
the chair or vice-chair and the secretary or treasurer of the board.
6.  The board shall adopt such bylaws and mission statements as are necessary for the 
legal operation and proper management of the authority.
Sec. 6.  Meetings.  The bylaws must establish the annual meeting of the board.  
Additional meetings may be scheduled at the call of the chair or at the written request of 
any 4 members of the board.
A member who fails to attend board meetings 5 consecutive times may be replaced by 
the municipal officers.  Notification of such absences from the secretary of the board to the 
municipal officers is sufficient to trigger the appointment of a replacement board member 
by the municipal officers.
SUMMARY
This bill establishes the Southern Aroostook County Emergency Medical Services 
Authority to facilitate the provision of emergency medical services to residents of southern 
Aroostook County.