An Act to Establish Statutory Deadlines for Processing Applications
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1510
Committee: Criminal Justice and Public Safety
Sponsors: FREDETTE
Amends: 32 MRSA §82-A

Legislative Document
No. 1510
H.P. 994
House of Representatives, April 8, 2025
An Act to Establish Statutory Deadlines for Processing Applications 
for Emergency Medical Services Personnel
Reference to the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety suggested and ordered 
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative FREDETTE of Newport.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  32 MRSA §82-A is enacted to read:
§82-A.  License application review
The board, when considering an application for a license required pursuant to section 
for an emergency medical services person, emergency medical services ambulance 
operator and emergency medical dispatcher pursuant to this chapter, is subject to the time 
frames and reporting requirements provided in this section.
1. Decision on applications.  Except as provided in subsection 2, the board shall grant 
or deny an application for a license no later than 30 calendar days after receipt of a license 
application that has been determined to be complete.  If the application is determined to be 
incomplete, the board shall notify the applicant no later than 10 days after making that 
determination.  The 30-day time frame for the board to consider the application starts over 
when the applicant provides the necessary information for the board to determine the 
application complete.
2. Extraordinary circumstances.  In the event of a state of emergency declared by the 
Governor pursuant to Title 37-B, section 742 or if the number of applications received 
cannot reasonably be processed as required by subsection 1, the board may take an 
additional 15 calendar days to decide to grant or deny a license application.
3. Report to the Legislature.  Beginning February 1, 2026 and annually thereafter, 
the board shall submit a report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over emergency medical services matters regarding applications reviewed 
pursuant to this section.  The report must include:
A. The number of applications received by the board and the number of licenses 
granted and applications denied pursuant to subsection 1;
B. The average number of days between receipt of a complete application and 
notification to the applicant of the board's decision pursuant to subsection 1; and
C. The number of applications subject to an extended review pursuant to subsection 2.
4. Failure of the board to meet time frames.  If the commissioner determines that the 
board is unable to comply with the time frames provided in this section, notwithstanding 
any provision in this chapter to the contrary, the commissioner shall  review the board's 
actions and implement necessary corrections, including, but not limited to, transferring the 
duties of the board to consider license applications for emergency medical services persons, 
emergency medical services ambulance operators and emergency medical dispatchers to 
the commissioner.
5. Rules.  The board shall adopt rules necessary to implement the provisions of this 
section.  Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules under Title 
5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Emergency Medical Services' Board to make a decision on a 
license application for an emergency medical services person, emergency medical services 
ambulance operator or emergency medical dispatcher within 30 calendar days of receiving 
a completed application.  The bill allows for a 15-day extension to the 30-day time frame 
during a state of emergency or if the number of applications received cannot be reasonably 
reviewed within that time.  Under the bill, if the board does not meet the time frames 
established for licensing decisions, the Commissioner of Public Safety will assume the 
board's licensing duties.  The bill also requires the board to report annually to the 
Legislature.