Subd. 1. Reimbursement for education costs; ambulance service eligibility.

1. (a) Except as provided in subdivision 3, the director must reimburse all eligible Minnesota licensed ambulance services that apply for reimbursement under this section for the necessary expenses of initial EMR and EMT education and EMR and EMT continuing education for ambulance attendants who satisfy the criteria in subdivision 2. Reimbursement may include tuition, transportation, food, lodging, hourly payment for the time spent in the education course, and other necessary expenditures, except that in no instance shall a licensed ambulance service be reimbursed more than:

   1. (1) $1,200 for an ambulance attendant's successful completion of an initial EMT education course;
   2. (2) $400 for an ambulance attendant's successful completion of an EMT continuing education course;
   3. (3) $600 for an ambulance attendant's successful completion of an initial EMR education course; and
   4. (4) $200 for an ambulance attendant's successful completion of an EMR continuing education course.
2. (b) To be eligible for reimbursement, a licensed ambulance service must have responded to 5,000 or fewer calls in the most recent calendar year.

Subd. 2. Ambulance attendant criteria.

Reimbursement must be paid under this section when documentation is provided to the director that the ambulance attendant:

1. (1) successfully completed an initial EMR or EMT education course approved by the director under section 144E.285, a continuing education course for EMR or EMT care approved by the director under section 144E.285, or both; and
2. (2) has served for one year from the date of the final certification exam as an active member of a Minnesota licensed ambulance service.

Subd. 3. Discontinuance of reimbursement.

If the state is unable to meet its financial obligations under subdivision 1 as the obligations become due, the director must discontinue reimbursing ambulance services for education costs until the state is again able to meet the financial obligations under subdivision 1 as the obligations become due. An ambulance service whose application is not approved due to lack of funding may resubmit the application in the next fiscal year.