Ortitay bill to assist first responders recoup insurance costs passes House
Legislation intended to exempt volunteer firefighters and emergency medical service providers from paying a fee for accident reports for insurance billing purposes was approved Monday by the state House of Representatives.
The bill, which was written state Rep. Jason Ortitay, R-Cecil, now heads to the Senate for approval.
Under current law, copies of vehicle accident reports issued by local and state police are furnished for a fee, according to a news release from Ortitay’s office.
Ortitay’s bill allows volunteer firefighter departments and EMS companies to receive a free copy of vehicle accident reports for insurance purposes, the release said.
“Without insurance information, it is difficult for fire and EMS companies to recoup some of the costs involved in responding to and handling an accident scene,” Ortitay said. “Cecil Township’s Lawrence Volunteer Fire Department alerted me that they have to pay a fee to obtain a copy of an accident report, which makes it difficult to collect billable payments for insurance companies, thus creating its financial burden.
“Our emergency responders,” he added,” should not have to pay a fee to gather this vital information.”