# Indiana HB 1251: Emergency ambulance services. Indiana HB 1251, Emergency ambulance services., is a Second Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2026) House bill sponsored by Timothy O'Brien (Republican); status failed, last action 2026-02-12 (Committee report: amend do pass adopted; reassigned to Committee on Tax and Fiscal Policy) (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1251-2026 - As of: 2026-11-01 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Indiana HB 1251 - State: Indiana - Session: Second Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2026) - Title: Emergency ambulance services. - Status: failed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-01-05 - Last action: 2026-02-12, Committee report: amend do pass adopted; reassigned to Committee on Tax and Fiscal Policy - Sponsor: Timothy O'Brien (Republican) - Cosponsors: 7 - Subjects: veterans affairs and public safety, the senate, local government, tax and fiscal policy - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 1 (83 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 0 ## Summary 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. ## Bill overview No economic impacts identified for this bill. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Timothy O'Brien (Republican), House - Cosponsor: J.D. Ford (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Michael Crider (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Mike Bohacek (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Mitch Gore (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Steve Bartels (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Vaneta Becker (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Victoria Garcia Wilburn (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-02-02 | House | Third reading: passed | pass | 83 | 0 | | ## Actions (17) - 2026-02-12: Committee report: amend do pass adopted; reassigned to Committee on Tax and Fiscal Policy (Senate) - 2026-02-12: Senator Becker added as second sponsor (Senate) - 2026-02-12: Senator Bohacek added as third sponsor (Senate) - 2026-02-09: Senator Ford J.D. added as cosponsor (Senate) - 2026-02-05: First reading: referred to Committee on Local Government (Senate) - 2026-02-03: Referred to the Senate (House) - 2026-02-02: Senate sponsor: Senator Crider (House) - 2026-02-02: Third reading: passed; Roll Call 177: yeas 83, nays 0 (House) - 2026-01-29: Second reading: ordered engrossed (House) - 2026-01-27: Committee report: amend do pass, adopted (House) - 2026-01-15: Representatives Gore, Garcia Wilburn added as coauthors (House) - 2026-01-12: Recommitted to Committee on Ways and Means pursuant to House Rule 126.3 (House) - 2026-01-12: Recommitted to Committee on Ways and Means pursuant to House Rule 126.3 (House) - 2026-01-12: Committee report: do pass, adopted (House) - 2026-01-05: Authored by Representative O'Brien (House) - 2026-01-05: Coauthored by Representative Bartels (House) - 2026-01-05: First reading: referred to Committee on Veterans Affairs and Public Safety (House) ## Bill text - House Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/HB1251/versions/HB1251.02.COMH?format=pdf) - House Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/HB1251/versions/HB1251.03.COMH?format=pdf), [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/HB1251/versions/HB1251.04.COMS?format=pdf) - Introduced House Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/HB1251/versions/HB1251.01.INTR?format=pdf) ## Related bills - HB 1266: Department of education and education matters. (signed) - HB 1277: Health and human services matters. (signed) - HB 1210: Department of local government finance. (signed) - HB 1249: Various criminal law matters. (signed) - HB 1200: Bureau of motor vehicles. (signed) - HB 1115: Homeowners association governance. (signed) ## Sources - [House Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/HB1251/versions/HB1251.02.COMH?format=pdf) - [House Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/HB1251/versions/HB1251.03.COMH?format=pdf) - [House Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/HB1251/versions/HB1251.04.COMS?format=pdf) - [Introduced House Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/HB1251/versions/HB1251.01.INTR?format=pdf) ## Related - [HB 1266: Department of education and education matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1266-2026) - [HB 1277: Health and human services matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1277-2026) - [HB 1210: Department of local government finance.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1210-2026) - [HB 1249: Various criminal law matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1249-2026) - [HB 1200: Bureau of motor vehicles.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1200-2026) - [HB 1115: Homeowners association governance.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1115-2026) - [Indiana bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/indiana/bills) - [Indiana state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/indiana) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1251-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).