Pennsylvania House Bill HB2238

Pennsylvania 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/20/26
• Refer: 2/20/26

Caption

In emergency medical services system, further providing for support of emergency medical services.

Summary

HB2238 amends Pennsylvania’s emergency medical services law to add new reporting, oversight, and accountability requirements for the Department of Health’s administration of the Emergency Medical Services Operating Fund. The bill requires the department to submit an annual report to the Auditor General and the General Assembly by October 1 each year, detailing all fund expenditures, documentation of payments for authorized purposes, a list of all recipients, compliance information, and corrective action plans for any noncompliant recipients. The report must also be posted publicly on the department’s website within seven days of submission. The bill also creates enforcement mechanisms tied to department compliance. If the department misses the reporting deadline, its administrative funds from the EMS Operating Fund must be withheld until compliance is achieved, though operational funding for EMS agencies, ambulance services, rescue squads, fire departments, and regional EMS councils cannot be reduced because of the department’s failure. The Secretary of Health and the Bureau of Emergency Medical Services director must each provide sworn certifications of the report’s accuracy, and false certifications may trigger penalties under Pennsylvania’s unsworn falsification law. The Auditor General must independently verify the report annually, and no new administrative funds may be released until prior audit corrective actions are implemented. The bill also directs the Secretary of Health to impose internal controls and restrict use of EMS Operating Fund money for administrative salaries if the department fails to comply.

Impact

HB2238 would add new statutory duties to Title 35, section 8153, governing support of emergency medical services. It would increase transparency and oversight of the Emergency Medical Services Operating Fund by requiring annual public reporting, independent audit verification, sworn certifications by senior officials, and corrective action tracking. The bill would also create financial consequences for departmental noncompliance by withholding administrative funds, while expressly protecting operational payments to local EMS providers from interruption. These provisions would affect the Department of Health, the Auditor General, the Secretary of Health, the Bureau of Emergency Medical Services, and EMS-related recipients of state funding.

Sentiment

The bill appears to be framed in a generally accountability-focused and oversight-oriented way, with no recorded committee debate or vote history available in the provided materials. Its structure suggests support for stronger transparency and fiscal controls over EMS funding, while preserving direct aid to local emergency response providers. Because there are no transcripts or votes, there is no documented opposition or support to measure beyond the bill’s text itself.

Contention

The main point of contention likely concerns the bill’s enforcement provisions and the degree of control it places on the Department of Health. Potential concerns include withholding administrative funds if reporting deadlines are missed, mandatory appearances before legislative appropriations committees, and penalties tied to sworn certifications. Another possible issue is whether the Auditor General’s verification and the requirement to implement prior audit recommendations could create administrative burdens or delay fund administration, even though the bill explicitly protects operational funding for EMS agencies and related local entities.