Relating to: a levy limit exemption for regional emergency medical systems and eligibility for the expenditure restraint incentive program. (FE)

SB 181 creates a levy limit exemption for local governments that fund regional emergency medical services (EMS). It allows counties or municipalities to count costs for regional EMS (via joint districts or agreements) toward their budget without triggering standard spending limits, provided the service area covers at least 232 square miles or 8+ municipalities. The bill requires that annual EMS funding increases stay within an inflation-adjusted cap (U.S. CPI plus 5%) and that the local government confirms a coordinated regional service area. This directly affects local governments operating regional EMS systems by making their funding more flexible under budget constraints. The exemption applies to costs for fire department-provided EMS and excludes these expenditures from standard spending limit calculations.