Colorado § 25-3.5-603 - Emergency medical services account - creation - allocation of money - rules.

§ 25-3.5-603. Emergency medical services account - creation - allocation of money - rules.

(1) (a) There is hereby created a special account within the highway users tax fund established under section 43-4-201, to be known as the emergency medical services account, which consists of all money transferred into the account in accordance with section 42-3-304 (21), fees collected under section 25-3.5-203 for provisional certifications or licenses of emergency medical service providers, and fees collected under section 25-3.5-1103 for provisional registration of emergency medical responders.

(b) All moneys in and state FTE funded by the emergency medical services account shall be subject to annual appropriation by the general assembly.

(c) At the end of any fiscal year, all unexpended and unencumbered money in the emergency medical services account shall remain therein and shall not be credited or transferred to the general fund or any other fund.

(d) (I) For state fiscal years commencing on or before July 1, 2024, and on or after July 1, 2026, the state treasurer shall credit all interest and income derived from the deposit and investment of money in the emergency medical services account to the emergency medical services account.

(II) Notwithstanding subsections (1)(b) and (1)(c) of this section, for the state fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2025, in accordance with section 24-36-114 (1), the state treasurer shall credit all interest and income derived from the deposit and investment of money in the emergency medical services account to the general fund.

(III) Repealed.

(2) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2005, p. 280, § 13, effective August 8, 2005.)

(3) The general assembly shall appropriate money in the emergency medical services account:

(a) (I) To the department for distribution as grants to local emergency medical and trauma service providers pursuant to the emergency medical and trauma services (EMTS) grant program set forth in section 25-3.5-604.

(II) Of the amount appropriated under subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (a) for grants:

(A) One hundred thousand dollars shall remain in the account for unexpected emergencies that arise after the deadline for grant applications has passed. The department and the council shall promulgate any rules necessary to define the expenditures of such emergency funds.

(B) The department shall award a minimum of one hundred fifty thousand dollars to offset the training costs of emergency medical service providers, emergency medical dispatchers, emergency medical services instructors, emergency medical services coordinators, and other personnel who provide emergency medical services. Of said one hundred fifty thousand dollars, no less than eighty percent shall be used in the training of emergency medical service providers.

(b) (I) To the department for distribution for each Colorado county within a RETAC no less than fifteen thousand dollars and seventy-five thousand dollars to each RETAC, in accordance with section 25-3.5-605 for planning and, to the extent possible, coordination of emergency medical and trauma services in the county and between counties when such coordination would provide for better service geographically. In the event that a RETAC is composed of less than five counties as of July 1, 2002, the council shall recommend that for each Colorado county within such RETAC, the RETAC shall receive fifteen thousand dollars in accordance with section 25-3.5-605 for planning and, to the extent possible, coordination of emergency medical and trauma services in the county and between counties when such coordination would provide for better service geographically. Any RETAC may apply for additional moneys and may receive such moneys if the request is approved by the council, so long as the moneys are used in accordance with section 25-3.5-605 for planning and, to the extent possible, coordination of emergency medical and trauma services in the county and between counties when such coordination would provide for better service geographically.

(II) A county may request to the council that the county's representative fifteen thousand dollars be divided between two different RETACs pursuant to section 25-3.5-704 (2)(c)(IV)(B).

(c) To the direct and indirect costs of planning, developing, implementing, maintaining, and improving the statewide emergency medical and trauma services system. These costs include:

(I) Providing technical assistance and support to local governments, local emergency medical and trauma service providers, and RETACs operating a statewide data collection system, coordinating local and state programs, providing assistance in selection and purchasing of medical and communication equipment, administering the EMTS grant program, establishing and maintaining scope of practice for certified or licensed emergency medical service providers, and administering a registration program for emergency medical responders; and

(II) The costs of the department of revenue in collecting the additional motor vehicle registration fee pursuant to section 42-3-304 (21), C.R.S.

Source: L. 89: Entire part added, p. 1149, § 2, effective July 1. L. 92: Entire section amended, p. 1143, § 2, effective May 29. L. 94: (1)(a) and (2)(c)(III) amended, p. 2559, § 61, effective January 1, 1995. L. 2000: IP(2), (2)(a)(I), (2)(a)(II)(A), (2)(b), IP(2)(c), (2)(c)(I), and (2)(c)(II) amended and (3) added, p. 533, § 12, effective July 1. L. 2005: (1)(a) and (3)(c)(II) amended, p. 1183, § 33, effective August 8; (1)(b) and (2) amended, p. 280, § 13, effective August 8. L. 2009: (1)(a) amended, (HB 09-1275), ch. 278, p. 1245, § 2, effective May 19. L. 2010: (3)(c)(I) amended, (HB 10-1260), ch. 403, p. 1947, § 11, effective July 1. L. 2012: (1)(a), IP(3), IP(3)(a)(II), (3)(a)(II)(B), IP(3)(c), and (3)(c)(I) amended, (HB 12-1059), ch. 271, p. 1437, § 21, effective July 1. L. 2016: (1)(a) and (3)(c)(I) amended, (HB 16-1034), ch. 324, p. 1310, § 2, effective August 10. L. 2019: (1)(a), IP(3), and (3)(c)(I) amended, (SB 19-242), ch. 396, p. 3529, § 18, effective May 31. L. 2025: (1)(c) amended and (1)(d) added, (SB 25-317), ch. 385, p. 2159, § 39, effective June 3.

Editor's note: (1) Subsection (3) was originally enacted as subsection (2.5) in Senate Bill 00-180 but was renumbered on revision for ease of location.

(2) Subsection (1)(d)(III)(B) provided for the repeal of subsection (1)(d)(III), effective July 1, 2026. (See L. 2025, p. 2159.)

Cross references: (1) For the definition of "RETAC" and additional definitions applicable to this article 3.5, see § 25-3.5-703.

(2) For the legislative declaration in SB 25-317, see section 1 of chapter 385, Session Laws of Colorado 2025.