State lawmakers are looking for ways to provide more money to politically powerful volunteer fire companies who say their ambulance services are losing money.
A bill released by a House committee on Wednesday tacks on $10 to every violation of state motor vehicle laws. The money would be earmarked for volunteer ambulance companies.
Another bill released by the committee expands the types of health insurers that are subject to the insurance premium tax assessment for ambulance service and increases the amount of the money placed in the insurance tax fund for ambulance services.
But the committee tabled a bill calling for county governments to pay at least 15 percent of the cost of basic life support service provided within each county by annual appropriations to each volunteer ambulance company.
