| Passed by the Senate March 14, 2005 YEAS 48 BRAD OWEN ________________________________________ President of the Senate Passed by the House April 5, 2005 YEAS 94 FRANK CHOPP ________________________________________ Speaker of the House of Representatives | I, Thomas Hoemann, Secretary of the Senate of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5736 as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the dates hereon set forth. THOMAS HOEMANN ________________________________________ Secretary | |
| Approved April 18, 2005. CHRISTINE GREGOIRE ________________________________________ Governor of the State of Washington | April 18, 2005 - 2:05 p.m. Secretary of State State of Washington |
| State of Washington | 59th Legislature | 2005 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 03/02/05.
AN ACT Relating to the availability of subscription air ambulance services; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 (1) The legislature finds that there is a
need to assist island and rural citizens with the availability of
affordable air ambulance service. The legislature further finds that
there is a need to evaluate the feasibility of subscription air
ambulance service offered by a vendor that solicits membership
subscriptions, accepts membership applications, charges membership
fees, and furnishes prepaid or discounted air ambulance service to
subscription members and designated members of their households.
(2) The office of the insurance commissioner must perform an
evaluation of the feasibility of subscription air ambulance service.
This evaluation shall be geared toward allowing a person, entity,
corporation, or nonprofit corporation to offer, sell, and provide
subscription air ambulance service. The evaluation shall:
(a) Include consultation with public and private entities and
individuals involved in offering, providing, and purchasing
subscription air ambulance service;
(b) Assess the needs and concerns of likely subscription air
ambulance vendors, including the costs of providing affordable air
ambulance service to rural and island residents, as well as the burdens
placed on vendors if held to the reporting and solvency requirements of
the insurance code;
(c) Determine the implications of subscription air ambulance
service on consumer protection issues; and
(d) Compare the state's need for affordable subscription air
ambulance service to other states that allow this service, including an
inquiry into the practices of out-of-state vendors who provide the
service, as well as the applicability or nonapplicability of other
states' insurance codes to the service.
(3) The office of the insurance commissioner must submit a report
of its findings to the legislature by December 31, 2005, and the report
must include recommendations based on the evaluation required under
subsection (2) of this section.
(4) The subscription air ambulance service feasibility evaluation
shall be funded by the office of the insurance commissioner.