A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT establishing a community paramedicine program within the department of health and human services, division of health service regulation, office of emergency medical services, and appropriating funds to support four community paramedicine program sites.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Chapter 131E of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new Article to read:
"Article 7B.
"Community Paramedicine Program.
"§ 131E‑163.  Title.
This Article shall be known as the "Community Paramedicine Program."
"§ 131E‑163.1.  Establishment and purpose.
There is established within the Department's Division of Health Service Regulation, Office of Emergency Medical Services, a community paramedicine program. The Department shall implement the program in at least four different sites throughout the State, giving preference to counties with existing community paramedic programs. The purpose of the program is to expand the role of paramedics in community‑based care initiatives that result in providing care that accomplishes one or more of the following goals:
(1)	Improves individual and community health.
(2)	Reduces unnecessary hospitalizations and emergency room visits.
(3)	Improves patient satisfaction.
(4)	Reduces healthcare costs.
"§ 131E‑163.2.  Program participation; rules.
The Department, in consultation with the North Carolina Office of Emergency Medical Services, shall adopt rules specifying program objectives, standards, and participation requirements, which shall include at least all of the following:
(1)	Educational and other requirements to qualify as a community paramedic eligible to participate in the program.
(2)	Selection criteria for program sites that give preference to counties with existing community paramedic programs.
(3)	A payment or reimbursement system for services provided by community paramedics participating in the program.
(4)	Required outcomes and reporting requirements for community paramedics participating in the program.
"§ 131E‑163.3.  Not an entitlement.
The Department is not required to provide funding to community paramedicine program participants beyond the amount appropriated by the General Assembly for this purpose. The community paramedicine program established under this Article is not an entitlement and nothing in this Article shall create any property right."
SECTION 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Health Service Regulation, Office of Emergency Medical Services, the sum of seven hundred thousand dollars ($700,000) in recurring funds for the 2019‑2020 fiscal year and the sum of seven hundred thousand dollars ($700,000) in recurring funds for the 2020‑2021 fiscal year, for the community paramedicine program authorized under Article 7B of Chapter 131E of the General Statutes, as enacted by this act. For each year of the 2019‑2021 fiscal biennium, the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Health Service Regulation, Office of Emergency Medical Services, shall allocate these funds in the amounts specified to support the following four community paramedicine program sites:
(1)	Up to two hundred ten thousand dollars ($210,000) to the McDowell County Emergency Medical Services program site.
(2)	Up to two hundred ten thousand dollars ($210,000) to the New Hanover Regional Emergency Medical Services program site.
(3)	Up to two hundred ten thousand dollars ($210,000) to the Wake Emergency Medical Services program site.
(4)	Up to seventy thousand dollars ($70,000) to a program site selected by the Department of Health and Human Services.
SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2019.