KRS 311A.155: Emergency medical services grant program -- Trust and agency account

-- Withholding funds for emergency purposes -- Grants to fiscal courts --

Administrative regulations -- Emergency funding.

(1) There shall be an emergency medical services grant pro gram to provide funding to

each county for the direct operation of emergency medical services, including but

not limited to purchase or lease of ambulances or equipment. Funds available shall

not be used to fund personnel or consultant salaries.

(2) Funds appropriated to or received by the emergency medical services grant program

shall be placed in a trust and agency account in the State Treasury and shall not

lapse.

(3) The board shall administer the emergency medical services grant program and may

promulgate administrative regulations, which shall include but not be limited to

funding criteria necessary for its implementation and operation.

(4) Twenty percent (20%) of the funds received each fiscal year for the grant program

may be withheld from general di stribution and shall be distributed for emergency

purposes only.

(5) Grants may be made each fiscal year to each county fiscal court determined to be

eligible by the board for distribution to public ambulance services operated by or for

the county. A count y may keep funds appropriated to them for a period of two (2)

years, if desired, for expenditure for authorized purposes. At the end of two (2)

years from the date of the receipt of the grant, the county shall return any funds

remaining unexpended to the e mergency medical services grant fund. Each

expenditure made by the fiscal court from grant funds provided to the county shall

be documented, with appropriate receipts or other documents, and a copy of each

receipt or other document shall be provided to the board to verify that the

expenditure was proper. The board shall require reimbursement to the emergency

medical services fund by the county, with interest at a rate of twenty percent (20%)

annually, for any funds expended for an unauthorized purpose. If t he county fails or

refuses to reimburse the fund, the board shall notify the Attorney General, who shall

seek appropriate civil and criminal remedies.

(6) The board shall, annually, by January 1, promulgate administrative regulations

specifying items of eq uipment and other authorized expenditures for the upcoming

fiscal year. No funds shall be provided to the county until after the start of the fiscal

year.

(7) The board may, in the event of a documented situation which the board considers to

be an emergenc y and beyond the ability of the county to pay, provide emergency

funding to the fiscal court for an ambulance or authorized equipment which has

been damaged or destroyed. Normal replacement of an ambulance or equipment

shall not be considered an emergency. The amount of funding that may be provided

by the board shall not exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000). Only one (1)

emergency funding request shall be granted for any county in each fiscal year. The

amount of the emergency grant to the county shall be d educted from the county's

grant for the next fiscal year.