Senate Bill S10689

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10689
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              August 26, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. HINCHEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to  establishing  the
   volunteer and municipal ambulance services grant program
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding  a  new  section
 3035 to read as follows:
   §  3035.  VOLUNTEER AND MUNICIPAL AMBULANCE SERVICES GRANT PROGRAM. 1.
 THERE IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED WITHIN THE  DEPARTMENT,  THE  VOLUNTEER  AND
 MUNICIPAL  AMBULANCE  SERVICES GRANT PROGRAM. THE GRANT PROGRAM SHALL BE
 ADMINISTERED BY THE DEPARTMENT  FOR  THE  PURPOSE  OF  AWARDING  CAPITAL
 GRANTS  TO  SUPPORT  PROJECTS  WHICH SUSTAIN OR ENHANCE THE OPERATION OF
 VOLUNTEER AND MUNICIPAL AMBULANCE SERVICES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
 ACQUISITION OR MAINTENANCE OF BUILDINGS, EQUIPMENT, TECHNOLOGY, OR VEHI-
 CLES.
   2. DEFINITIONS. FOR PURPOSES OF  THIS  SECTION,  THE  FOLLOWING  TERMS
 SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A) "AVAILABLE FUNDING" SHALL MEAN THE TOTAL APPROPRIATION MADE TO THE
 VOLUNTEER AND MUNICIPAL AMBULANCE SERVICES GRANT PROGRAM.
   (B)  "ELIGIBLE  PROJECT" SHALL MEAN A PROJECT TO SUPPORT THE PROVISION
 OF VOLUNTEER OR MUNICIPAL AMBULANCE SERVICES, INCLUDING BUT NOT  LIMITED
 TO  ACQUISITION  OR  MAINTENANCE OF BUILDINGS, EQUIPMENT, TECHNOLOGY, OR
 VEHICLES. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, ELIGIBLE  PROJECTS  RELATING
 TO THE ACQUISITION OR MAINTENANCE OF BUILDINGS OR VEHICLES SHALL INCLUDE
 IMPROVEMENT, RENOVATION, REHABILITATION, OR CONSOLIDATION OF SUCH BUILD-
 INGS OR VEHICLES.
   (C) "ELIGIBLE ENTITY" SHALL MEAN:
   (I)  A  VOLUNTARY AMBULANCE SERVICE, AS DEFINED IN SECTION THREE THOU-
 SAND ONE OF THIS ARTICLE;
   (II) A MUNICIPAL AMBULANCE SERVICE; OR
   (III) TWO OR MORE ELIGIBLE ENTITIES PURSUANT TO  SUBPARAGRAPH  (I)  OR
 (II)  OF  THIS PARAGRAPH APPLYING FOR A SHARED PROJECT THAT WILL BENEFIT
 ALL SUCH ENTITIES.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD16316-01-6
 S. 10689                            2
 
   (D) "GRANT APPLICATION CYCLE" SHALL MEAN THE PERIOD OF TIME DETERMINED
 BY THE COMMISSIONER THAT BEGINS ON THE FIRST DAY AN APPLICANT CAN SUBMIT
 AN APPLICATION AND ENDS NO LATER  THAN  THE  SIXTIETH  DAY  AFTER  GRANT
 APPLICANTS ARE NOTIFIED OF AWARD DECISIONS.
   3.  (A)  ELIGIBLE ENTITIES THAT ARE LOCATED WITHIN THE STATE MAY APPLY
 FOR THE GRANT PROGRAM FOR PURPOSES OF ELIGIBLE PROJECTS.
   (B) A MUNICIPALITY OR COUNTY MAY APPLY FOR THE GRANT PROGRAM ON BEHALF
 OF AN ELIGIBLE ENTITY, PROVIDED THAT SUCH MUNICIPALITY OR  COUNTY  MEETS
 ANY  ADDITIONAL  REQUIREMENTS  ESTABLISHED BY THE DEPARTMENT TO DOCUMENT
 APPROVAL FROM AND DIRECT BENEFIT TO SUCH ELIGIBLE ENTITY.
   4. SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION, GRANTS SHALL BE AWARDED TO ELIGIBLE ENTI-
 TIES EACH GRANT APPLICATION CYCLE ON  A  COMPETITIVE  BASIS  THROUGH  AN
 APPLICATION  PROCESS;  PROVIDED,  HOWEVER, THAT NO ELIGIBLE ENTITY SHALL
 RECEIVE GREATER THAN TEN PERCENT OF THE AVAILABLE FUNDING IN EACH  GRANT
 APPLICATION  CYCLE.  THE  COMMISSIONER SHALL PROVIDE UPDATED INFORMATION
 REGARDING THE GRANT APPLICATION CYCLE, AVAILABLE FUNDING, AND ADDITIONAL
 GRANT INFORMATION DEEMED RELEVANT BY  THE  COMMISSIONER  PRIOR  TO  EACH
 GRANT APPLICATION CYCLE.
   5.  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL PUBLISH A REPORT ON THE GRANT APPLICATION
 CYCLE NO LATER THAN THE THIRTIETH DAY AFTER SUCH GRANT APPLICATION CYCLE
 HAS ENDED. THE REPORT SHALL BE PUBLISHED ON THE DEPARTMENT'S WEBSITE AND
 SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
   (A) THE TOTAL AVAILABLE FUNDING FOR THE GRANT APPLICATION CYCLE;
   (B) THE TOTAL NUMBER OF APPLICANTS WHO APPLIED FOR A GRANT DURING  THE
 GRANT APPLICATION CYCLE;
   (C)  A  LIST OF AWARDEES, INCLUDING A LIST OF MUNICIPALITIES SERVED BY
 EACH AWARDEE; AND
   (D) THE TOTAL AMOUNT REQUESTED AND AWARDED PER ELIGIBLE  PROJECT  TYPE
 AND PER COUNTY.
   6.  THE COMMISSIONER SHALL PROMULGATE ANY RULES AND REGULATIONS NECES-
 SARY TO CARRY OUT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION. SUCH RULES  AND  REGU-
 LATIONS  MAY  BE  INCLUDED IN THE GRANT APPLICATION AND PUBLISHED ON THE
 AGENCY'S WEBSITE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of April next  succeeding
 the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the
 addition,  amendment  and/or  repeal of any rule or regulation necessary
 for the implementation of this act on its effective date are  authorized
 to be made and completed on or before such effective date.