[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 718 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 718

 To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permit the issuance of 
    tax-exempt bonds by certain organizations providing rescue and 
                      emergency medical services.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 11, 1999

 Mr. Etheridge (for himself, Mr. McIntyre, Mr. Nussle, Mr. Shows, Mr. 
  Boucher, Ms. Kilpatrick, Mrs. Clayton, Mr. Stupak, Mr. Bishop, Mr. 
 Ehlers, Mr. LoBiondo, Mr. Ortiz, Mr. Paul, Mr. Evans, Mr. Strickland, 
 Mr. Taylor of North Carolina, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Delahunt, Mr. Clyburn, 
   Mrs. Emerson, Mr. Stenholm, Ms. Hooley of Oregon, Mr. Cramer, Mr. 
    Baldacci, Mr. Spratt, Mr. Rahall, Mr. Olver, Mr. Gilchrest, Mr. 
Pomeroy, Mr. McHugh, Mr. Frost, Mr. Oberstar, Mr. Hill of Montana, Mr. 
Deal of Georgia, Mr. Bereuter, Mr. Sandlin, Mr. Burr of North Carolina, 
 Mr. Kind, Mr. Holden, Mr. Watkins, Mr. Gekas, Mr. Norwood, Mr. Quinn, 
  Mr. Gibbons, Mr. Costello, Mr. Hinchey, and Mr. Ney) introduced the 
  following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Way and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permit the issuance of 
    tax-exempt bonds by certain organizations providing rescue and 
                      emergency medical services.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Emergency Medical Services 
Enhancement Act of 1999''.

SEC. 2. ISSUANCE OF TAX-EXEMPT BONDS BY ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDING RESCUE 
              AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES.

    (a) General Rule.--Subsection (e) of section 150 of the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986 is amended to read as follows:
    ``(e) Bonds of Certain Volunteer Fire Departments or Emergency 
Service Organizations.--For purposes of this part and section 103--
            ``(1) In general.--A bond of a volunteer fire or other 
        emergency services organization shall be treated as a bond of a 
        political subdivision of a State if--
                    ``(A) such organization is a qualified volunteer 
                fire or other emergency services organization with 
                respect to an area within the jurisdiction of such 
                political subdivision, and
                    ``(B) such bond is issued as part of an issue 95 
                percent or more of the net proceeds of which are to be 
                used for the acquisition, construction, reconstruction, 
                or improvement of--
                            ``(i) a firehouse or other building used or 
                        to be used by such organization in providing 
                        qualified services (including land which is 
                        functionally related and subordinate thereto), 
                        or
                            ``(ii) a firetruck, ambulance, or other 
                        vehicle used or to be used by such organization 
                        in providing qualified services.
            ``(2) Qualified volunteer fire or other emergency services 
        organization.--For purposes of this subsection, the term 
        `qualified volunteer fire or other emergency services 
        organization' means, with respect to a political subdivision of 
        a State, any organization--
                    ``(A) which is organized and operated to provide 
                qualified services for persons in an area (within the 
                jurisdiction of such political subdivision) which is 
                not provided with any other qualified services of the 
                type provided by such organization, and
                    ``(B) which is required (by written agreement) by 
                the political subdivision to furnish qualified services 
                in such area.
        For purposes of subparagraph (A), other qualified services 
        provided in an area shall be disregarded in determining whether 
        an organization is a qualified volunteer fire or other 
        emergency services organization if such other qualified 
        services are provided by a qualified volunteer fire or other 
        emergency services organization (determined with the 
        application of this sentence) and such organization and the 
        provider of such other services have been continuously 
        providing qualified services to such area since January 1, 
        1999.
            ``(3) Treatment as private activity bonds only for certain 
        purposes.--Bonds which are part of an issue which meets the 
        requirements of paragraph (1) shall not be treated as private 
        activity bonds except for purposes of sections 147(f) and 
        149(d).
            ``(4) Qualified services.--For purposes of this subsection, 
        the term `qualified services' means any firefighting, rescue, 
        or emergency medical services.''
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
apply to obligations issued after the date of the enactment of this 
Act.
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