West Virginia Senate approves bill establishing permanent EMS funding

The West Virginia Senate unanimously approved House Bill 5168 to divert $12 million annually from the State Lottery Fund into three new EMS funding streams for mental health, training and equipment; the House must concur by midnight Saturday for the bill to go to the governor.

The West Virginia Senate on Friday unanimously approved an amended version of House Bill 5168 that would create a permanent state funding source for emergency medical services. The measure would divert $12 million each year from the State Lottery Fund into three dedicated accounts for mental health treatment, training and equipment. Advocates and local leaders pushed for a lasting funding mechanism after years of reliance on levies, grants and volunteer support and after multiple licensed 911 providers stopped operations since 2022. Under the current bill text, the lottery-derived funds cannot be used for EMS salaries, which are paid from a separate EMS Salary Enhancement Fund that has been unfunded for at least two years. Key details: - The Senate unanimously approved the amended HB 5168; the House must concur on the Senate changes by midnight Saturday for the bill to be sent to the governor. - The bill would divert $12 million annually from the State Lottery Fund and split it into three streams earmarked for mental health treatment, training and equipment for EMS. - The director of the West Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Service would administer the funds as interest-accumulating accounts, and any unspent dollars would remain in the fund. - Counties that receive lottery funds would be required to match 30% of the state dollars, and the new funding is explicitly barred from being used for salaries. - The legislation also amends parts of the certified microgrid code to require high-impact data center or microgrid developers to pay county service fees for EMS and first responder services and adds ambulance services into required fees. Summary: If the House concurs, the bill would establish the state's first permanent funding source for EMS and redirect $12 million in lottery revenue to those accounts each year. The funding is designated for mental health services, training and equipment and would remain in interest-accumulating accounts if unspent. The next procedural step is the House concurrence by midnight Saturday, after which the bill would be sent to the governor.