Amends TCA Title 7, Chapter 61 and Title 68.

Present law authorizes counties and cities to provide and maintain and do all things necessary to provide ambulance service as a public service. This bill rewrites the above provision to instead: (1) Require counties to make a provision for ambulance service as an essential service. This provision must meet the minimum qualifications for an ambulance service as set by the emergency medical services board; and (2) Authorize municipalities to make a provision for ambulance service as an essential service. ON MARCH 22, 2021, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1597, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 rewrites this bill. Present law authorizes the governing body of any county or city to provide and maintain and do all things necessary to provide ambulance service as a public service. This bill designates ambulance service as an essential service, directs all county governing bodies to make provisions to ensure that at least one licensed ambulance service is available within their county, and authorizes municipal governing bodies to make provisions for ambulance service within the boundaries of a municipality. This bill authorizes the governing body of any county or city to adopt and enforce reasonable regulations to control the provision of private or nonprofit ambulance service.