--- title: HB 209. Health; designate emergency medical services, including ambulance service, as an essential service collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb209 cite_as: HB 209, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb209 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb209.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb209/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69730 date: 2025-02-04 status: introduced corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb208.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb210.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 129 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb209.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 209 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-01-30 last_action: House Second Readers sponsors: - Ruwa Romman - Lee Hawkins - Michelle Au - Beth Camp text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB209/2025 upstream_id: 1949656 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - emergency medical services - ambulance service - health policy - essential services designation --- # HB 209. Health; designate emergency medical services, including ambulance service, as an essential service ## Text House Bill 209 By: Representatives Romman of the 97th, Hawkins of the 27th, Au of the 50th, and Camp of the 135th A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Chapter 11 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to emergency medical services, so as to designate emergency medical services, including ambulance service, as essential services in this state; to provide for statutory construction; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: SECTION 1. Chapter 11 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to emergency medical services, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows: "31-11-13. (a) Emergency medical services, including ambulance service, whether provided by a public, private nonprofit, or private for profit entity, are hereby declared to be essential services in this state. (b) This Code section shall not be construed to revise or impact the provision of such services through local coordinating entities within territorial zones and health districts in this state. This Code section shall not be construed to grant new or additional authority, oversight, or regulatory power to any state agency or local government of this state." SECTION 2. All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House bill would formally declare emergency medical services, including ambulance service, to be essential services in the state, without changing who regulates or coordinates them. ### Plain-language summary Georgia law does not currently label emergency medical services (EMS) as an 'essential service.' This bill would add a new section to the state's EMS law (O.C.G.A. Chapter 11 of Title 31) declaring that EMS and ambulance service, whether run by a public agency, a nonprofit, or a for-profit company, are essential services in Georgia. The bill is careful to limit its own effect. It says the new label does not change how local coordinating entities manage ambulance service within territorial zones and health districts, and it does not give any state agency or local government new authority, oversight, or regulatory power. In effect, the bill adds a formal statement about EMS's status without altering existing rules, funding mechanisms, or who oversees the service. Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws. ### What it does - Adds a new Code section (O.C.G.A. ยง 31-11-13) declaring EMS and ambulance service, public, nonprofit, or for-profit, to be essential services in Georgia. - States that the designation does not change how local coordinating entities manage ambulance service within existing territorial zones and health districts. - Specifies the bill does not grant any state agency or local government new authority, oversight, or regulatory power over EMS. - Repeals any existing state laws that conflict with this new designation. ### Who it affects Ambulance and emergency medical service providers, including public agencies, private nonprofits, and for-profit companies, along with the local coordinating entities that manage EMS within Georgia's territorial zones and health districts. ### Why it matters By formally labeling EMS as essential, the bill could carry symbolic or practical weight in future policy, funding, or emergency-planning discussions, even though it explicitly avoids changing current oversight, regulation, or local coordination of ambulance services in Georgia. ### Key provisions - Section 1 creates new Code section 31-11-13, declaring EMS and ambulance service essential regardless of whether the provider is public, nonprofit, or for-profit. - Subsection (a) applies the essential-service designation broadly across all types of EMS providers operating in Georgia. - Subsection (b) clarifies the designation does not alter existing local coordinating arrangements within territorial zones and health districts. - Subsection (b) also bars the bill from being read as granting new authority, oversight, or regulatory power to any state agency or local government. - Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws, a standard clause found in most bills. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2025-01-30) - Last action: House Second Readers (2025-02-04) - Sponsors: Ruwa Romman, Lee Hawkins, Michelle Au, Beth Camp - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69730 > The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb209.md?full=1