*1 The Honorable James L. Edwards Opinion No. B-976 Comanche County Attorney Re: Whether a county is

Box 147 Comanche, Texas 76442 required to provide

ambulance service.

Dear Mr. Edwards:

You have requested our opinion concerning whether a county is required to provide ambulance service.

It is well established in the opinions of this office that a county 2 provide ambulance service pursuant to the commissioner court's power regarding public health. Attorney General Opinions M-806 (1971), M-385 (1969), C-722 (1966); see V.T.C.S. arts. 2372t, 4418f. In Attorney General Opinion M-385, it was decided that a hospital district was authorized but not required to provide ambulance service. We have dis- covered no authority which would require a county to provide ambulance service. Article 4418f gives commissioners courts "the authority" to expend money for public health purposes which might include ambulance service~but does not require them to provide such service. In the absence of a statute or constitutional provision imposing such a duty, in our opinion a county,is not required to provide ambulance service.

SUMMARY A county may, but is not required to, provide ambulance service.

Very truly yours, p. 4066 *2 The Honorable James L. Edwards - page 2 (H-976) APPROVED:

Opinion Committee

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