House Bill
HB 1251
Emergency ambulance services.
In plain English
Declares emergency medical services, including emergency ambulance services, to be essential services in Indiana. Requires each county's commissioners to find areas without ambulance service and provide it, such as by starting a county service or contracting with a public, private, or nonprofit provider. Allows a county governing body to opt out in certain cases, and protects an opting-out county from civil liability for injury or death from a lack of service.
Written by AI from the official digest below, and checked only by automated rules. If they differ, the official digest and bill text control.
Official digest
Specifies that emergency medical services, including emergency ambulance services, are essential services in Indiana. Specifies that the provision of emergency medical services is an essential purpose of political subdivisions. Requires the county commissioners of each county to: (1) identify areas that are unserved by emergency ambulance services; and (2) provide emergency ambulance services to those areas by establishing a county emergency ambulance service, contracting with a public, private, or nonprofit provider of emergency ambulance services, or by any other available means. Allows a governing body to opt out of the requirement to provide emergency ambulance services to unserved areas in certain cases. Provides that a county governing body that opts out of the provision of emergency ambulance services is immune from civil liability for personal injury or death resulting from a lack of emergency ambulance services in an area of the county.
Latest action: Committee report: amend do pass adopted; reassigned to Committee on Tax and Fiscal Policy, February 12, 2026Full text and history at iga.in.gov
Authors and sponsors
Tim O'Brien, Michael Crider, Vaneta Becker, Mike Bohacek
Co-authors and co-sponsors: Steve Bartels, Mitch Gore, Victoria Garcia Wilburn, J.D. Ford
Roll-call votes
1 recorded vote, oldest first. Third-reading votes decide whether a bill passes a chamber; amendment votes and procedural motions are listed too.
House · Feb 2, 2026
Third reading: vote to pass
Roll call text: HB 1251 - O'Brien - 3rd Reading
Passed
83 yes0 no17 did not vote
Republicans: 56 yes, 0 no, 13 did not voteDemocrats: 26 yes, 0 no, 4 did not voteIndependents: 1 yes, 0 no
How each member voted
Yes (83)
- Alaina Shonkwiler (R)
- Beau Baird (R)
- Becky Cash (R)
- Ben Smaltz (R)
- Blake Johnson (D)
- Bob Behning (R)
- Bob Heaton (R)
- Bob Morris (R)
- Brad Barrett (R)
- Bruce Borders (R)
- Carey Hamilton (D)
- Carolyn Jackson (D)
- Cherrish Pryor (D)
- Chris Campbell (D)
- Chris Judy (R)
- Chris May (R)
- Chuck Moseley (D)
- Cindy Ledbetter (R)
- Cory Criswell (R)
- Craig Haggard (R)
- Craig Snow (R)
- Dale DeVon (R)
- Dave Hall (R)
- Dave Heine (R)
- David Abbott (R)
- Doug Miller (R)
- Earl Harris (D)
- Ed Clere (I)
- Ed DeLaney (D)
- Ed Soliday (R)
- Elizabeth Rowray (R)
- Ethan Lawson (R)
- Ethan Manning (R)
- Gregory Porter (D)
- Hal Slager (R)
- Heath VanNatter (R)
- Hunter Smith (R)
- Jack Jordan (R)
- Jake Teshka (R)
- Jeff Thompson (R)
- Jim Lucas (R)
- Joanna King (R)
- John Bartlett (D)
- Julie McGuire (R)
- Julie Olthoff (R)
- Justin Moed (D)
- Karen Engleman (R)
- Kendell Culp (R)
- Kyle Miller (D)
- Kyle Pierce (R)
- Lindsay Patterson (R)
- Lori Goss-Reaves (R)
- Lorissa Sweet (R)
- Martin Carbaugh (R)
- Matt Commons (R)
- Matt Hostettler (R)
- Matt Lehman (R)
- Matt Pierce (D)
- Mike Andrade (D)
- Mike Aylesworth (R)
- Mitch Gore (D)
- Peggy Mayfield (R)
- Phil GiaQuinta (D)
- Ragen Hatcher (D)
- Randy Novak (D)
- Reneé Pack (D)
- Robb Greene (R)
- Robin Shackleford (D)
- Ryan Lauer (R)
- Shane Lindauer (R)
- Sheila Klinker (D)
- Steve Bartels (R)
- Sue Errington (D)
- Tim O'Brien (R)
- Tim Wesco (R)
- Tim Yocum (R)
- Tony Isa (R)
- Tonya Pfaff (D)
- Vanessa Summers (D)
- Vernon Smith (D)
- Wendy Dant Chesser (D)
- Wendy McNamara (R)
- Zach Payne (R)
Did not vote (17)
- Alex Burton (D)
- Alex Zimmerman (R)
- Andrew Ireland (R)
- Chris Jeter (R)
- Danny Lopez (R)
- Garrett Bascom (R)
- Greg Steuerwald (R)
- J.D. Prescott (R)
- Jenny Meltzer (R)
- Jim Pressel (R)
- Mark Genda (R)
- Maureen Bauer (D)
- Michelle Davis (R)
- Mike Karickhoff (R)
- Ryan Dvorak (D)
- Todd Huston (R)
- Victoria Garcia Wilburn (D)
Source: Open States, compiled from the Indiana General Assembly's official roll calls. The official record at iga.in.gov controls. Spot an error? Let us know.