65-6136. Scope of act. (a) Nothing in this act shall be construed:

(1) To prevent the operation of a police emergency vehicle;

(2) to affect any statute or regulatory authority vested in the department of transportation concerning automotive equipment and safety requirements;

(3) to prohibit any privately owned vehicles and aircraft not ordinarily used in the ambulance service business from transporting persons who are sick, injured, wounded or otherwise incapacitated or helpless;

(4) to prevent any vehicle from being pressed into service as an ambulance when the operator determines an emergency exists and provides written notification to the board within 72 hours after the use of such vehicle; or

(5) to prohibit any ambulance lawfully operating under the laws of a state adjoining Kansas from providing emergency transportation of a patient from a municipality not otherwise served by an ambulance service located in Kansas to a location within or outside the state of Kansas when the governing body of such municipality declares a hardship. The governing body or board shall notify the board 30 days prior to the initiation of such out-of-state service.

(b) Ambulances owned and operated by an agency of the United States government shall be exempt from the provisions of this act.

(c) Any ambulance based outside of this state receiving a patient within the state for transportation to a location within this state or receiving a patient within this state for emergency transportation to a location outside this state shall comply with the provisions of this act except when such ambulance is rendering service in the case of a major catastrophe, such ambulance is making a prearranged hospital-to-hospital transfer or except as otherwise provided by rules and regulations adopted by the board.

History: L. 1988, ch. 261, § 36; L. 1990, ch. 235, § 7; July 1.