What This Bill Does
This bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to create a new grant program called the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Grant Program. The program will give money to qualified applicants on a competitive basis to help improve emergency medical services and medical transport across the country.
Who It Affects
EMS organizations (both volunteer and paid), state and local governments, Indian tribes, municipalities, for-profit ambulance services, nonprofit organizations, rural areas that provide emergency medical services, and EMS personnel like paramedics and emergency medical technicians.
Key Provisions
* The Secretary of Health and Human Services must establish the EMS Grant Program and award grants competitively to qualified applicants (Sec. 2(a)(1))
* Grant money can be used for salaries and training of EMS workers, mental health programs, equipment and vehicles, facility improvements, and community healthcare initiatives (Sec. 2(b))
* For-profit companies can receive no more than 2 percent of total grants awarded and no more than $100,000 per grant, and cannot apply again for three years after receiving one (Sec. 2(c)(1))
* Nonprofit organizations can receive no more than $300,000 per grant (Sec. 2(c)(2))
* At least 20 percent of all grants must go to qualified applicants in rural areas (Sec. 2(c)(3))
What Changes
If this law passes, a new federal grant program will be created specifically to fund emergency medical services. Organizations providing emergency medical care can apply for money to hire or retain workers, buy equipment and vehicles, improve facilities, and train staff. Rural areas will be guaranteed to receive a portion of the available funding.
Important Definitions
* Emergency Medical Services: Resources used by a licensed entity to provide medical care outside of a hospital during emergencies, delivered by state-licensed paramedics, emergency medical technicians, or equivalent professionals
* Medical Transport: Moving sick, injured, or incapacitated people by ambulance to a hospital, clinic, or other healthcare location
* Qualified Applicant: An EMS organization or a state, tribe, territory, or municipality
* Rural Area: A nonmetropolitan area, an area designated as rural by state law, or a rural census tract in a metropolitan area
Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1737
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish the
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Grant Program through which the
Secretary may make grants to qualified applicants, and for other pur-
poses.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 23, 2023
Mr. KIM of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. CAREY, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr.
MOLINARO, and Ms. PEREZ) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to
establish the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Grant
Program through which the Secretary may make grants
to qualified applicants, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Supporting Our First
4
Responders Act’’.
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SEC. 2. EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES GRANT PROGRAM.
1
(a) EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES GRANT PRO-
2
GRAM.—
3
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and
4
Human Services (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Sec-
5
retary’’) shall establish a program, to be known as
6
the ‘‘Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Grant Pro-
7
gram’’ (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Pro-
8
gram’’), through which the Secretary shall award
9
grants on a competitive basis to qualified applicants.
10
(2) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible for a grant
11
under the Program, a qualified applicant shall sub-
12
mit to the Secretary an application at such a time,
13
in such manner, and containing such information as
14
the Secretary may require, including the following:
15
(A) A description of the financial need of
16
the qualified applicant.
17
(B) An analysis of the costs and benefits,
18
with respect to improving medical transport and
19
emergency medical services (referred to in this
20
section as ‘‘EMS’’), of the activities to be car-
21
ried out through the grant.
22
(3) JOINT
APPLICATIONS.—A qualified appli-
23
cant may submit a joint application with one or
24
more other qualified applicants under this sub-
25
section.
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(4) PEER REVIEW OF GRANT APPLICATIONS.—
1
The Secretary, after consultation with national
2
qualified applicants, shall appoint representatives of
3
volunteer, governmental, Tribal, for-profit, and non-
4
profit qualified applicants and entities to conduct
5
peer review of applications.
6
(5) SELECTION
CONSIDERATIONS.—In award-
7
ing grants under the Program the Secretary shall
8
consider each of the following:
9
(A) The findings and recommendations of
10
the peer reviews carried out under paragraph
11
(4).
12
(B) The degree to which an award will im-
13
prove the coverage, response times, and ability
14
of qualified applicants to provide medical trans-
15
port and emergency medical services.
16
(C) The extent of the need of an applicant
17
for a grant under this subsection and the need
18
to protect the United States as a whole.
19
(D) Whether a qualified applicant has pre-
20
viously received Federal funding.
21
(6) PRIORITIZATION AMONG FOR-PROFIT QUALI-
22
FIED APPLICANTS.—In awarding grants under the
23
Program, the Secretary shall, in selecting among
24
qualified applicants that operate for profit, give pri-
25
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•HR 1737 IH
ority to such applicants that are smaller for profit
1
entities, determined on an annual basis based on the
2
net profits of the entity and the number of employ-
3
ees hired during the preceding year.
4
(b) PURPOSES.—Grants made under the Program
5
may be used by recipient qualified applicants for the fol-
6
lowing purposes:
7
(1) Maintaining, or, if appropriate, increasing,
8
the number of trained front-line EMS responders,
9
whether paid or volunteer, including providing sala-
10
ries and stipends.
11
(2) Providing mental health programs for quali-
12
fied applicant personnel.
13
(3) Covering or reimbursing costs associated
14
with certification and recertification courses.
15
(4) Obtaining resources, including purchasing
16
personal protective equipment, uniforms, medicine,
17
and medical supplies.
18
(5) Constructing or modifying facilities in such
19
a way so as to improve coverage, response time, and
20
ability of qualified applicants to provide medical
21
transport and emergency medical services.
22
(6) Upgrading or purchasing EMS vehicles,
23
communications equipment, and mapping equip-
24
ment.
25
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•HR 1737 IH
(7) Establishing or supporting community
1
paramedicine or mobile integrated healthcare initia-
2
tives.
3
(c) ALLOCATION OF GRANT AWARDS.—
4
(1) LIMITATION.—
5
(A) FOR PROFIT.—
6
(i) IN GENERAL.—Not more than two
7
percent of grants awarded under the Pro-
8
gram may be made available to qualified
9
applicants that operate for profit or to oth-
10
erwise support efforts to establish or pro-
11
vide emergency medical services, or med-
12
ical transport, for profit.
13
(ii) MAXIMUM
AMOUNT.—A grant
14
under the Program to such a for-profit
15
qualified applicant (if singly) or to such
16
qualified applicants (if a result of a joint
17
application) or to otherwise so support
18
such efforts shall be in an amount not to
19
exceed $100,000.
20
(iii) PURPOSES.—A qualified appli-
21
cant that operates for profit may use funds
22
awarded through a grant under the Pro-
23
gram only for the purposes specified in
24
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•HR 1737 IH
paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of subsection
1
(b).
2
(B) TIME-BASED.—A for-profit qualified
3
applicant (if singly) or qualified applicants (if a
4
result of a joint application) awarded a grant
5
under the Program may not apply for another
6
such award for a period of three years.
7
(2) FURTHER LIMITATION.—A grant under the
8
Program to a not-for-profit qualified applicant or a
9
joint application shall be in an amount not to exceed
10
$300,000.
11
(3) RESERVATION.—Not less than 20 percent
12
of grants awarded under the Program shall be made
13
available to qualified applicants in rural areas.
14
(d) METRICS.—The Secretary of Health and Human
15
Services shall develop metrics to assess the effectiveness
16
of the Program in improving the coverage, response times,
17
and ability of qualified applicants to provide medical
18
transport and emergency medical services.
19
(e) CLAW BACKS.—The Secretary of Health and
20
Human Services shall make every available effort to re-
21
cover grant funds in case of noncompliance. To carry out
22
this subsection, the Secretary shall establish a process
23
through which notification is conveyed to qualified appli-
24
cants determined to be in noncompliance, and such organi-
25
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•HR 1737 IH
zations are provided an opportunity to respond to such
1
notification prior to the recovery of such funds.
2
(f) ASSESSMENTS; REPORTS.—Not later than two
3
years after the date of the enactment of this Act and not
4
less frequently than biennially after, the Secretary of
5
Health and Human Services shall—
6
(1) conduct an assessment of the Program
7
based on the metrics developed pursuant to sub-
8
section (d); and
9
(2) submit to the Committee on Energy and
10
Commerce of the House of Representatives and the
11
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pen-
12
sions of the Senate a report summarizing the find-
13
ings of the assessment and recommendations to
14
strengthen the overall program.
15
(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is
16
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Health
17
and Human Services—
18
(1) for each of the first 5 fiscal years following
19
the date of the enactment of this Act, $50,000,000
20
to carry out the Program; and
21
(2) for each of such fiscal years, $5,000,000 to
22
provide technical assistance to qualified applicants
23
completing and submitting applications.
24
(h) REPORTS.—
25
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•HR 1737 IH
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after
1
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary
2
of Health and Human Services, in consultation with
3
the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and
4
Medicaid Services, the Administrator of the Health
5
Resources and Services Administration, the Assist-
6
ant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, and
7
EMS stakeholders, shall submit to Congress a report
8
that—
9
(A) details the challenges, disparities, and
10
inadequacies in providing Federal, State, and
11
private (including commercial insurers) reim-
12
bursement for medical transport and emergency
13
medical services; and
14
(B) provides recommendations for improve-
15
ment with respect to providing such reimburse-
16
ment.
17
(2) QUALIFIED
APPLICANTS.—Not later than
18
90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act,
19
the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in
20
consultation with the Administrator of the Centers
21
for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Adminis-
22
trator of the Health Resources and Services Admin-
23
istration, the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness
24
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•HR 1737 IH
and Response, and EMS stakeholders, shall submit
1
to Congress a report that—
2
(A) describes the challenges specific to
3
qualified applicants, including with respect to
4
Federal, State, and private (including private
5
insurers) reimbursement rates and policies; and
6
(B) contains an action plan to address
7
such challenges through grants and other ad-
8
ministrative action.
9
(3) ESTABLISHING A FEDERAL EMS OFFICE.—
10
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enact-
11
ment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and
12
Human Services, in consultation with the Adminis-
13
trator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
14
Services, the Administrator of the Health Resources
15
and Services Administration, the Assistant Secretary
16
for Preparedness and Response, and EMS stake-
17
holders, shall submit to Congress a report that as-
18
sesses the feasibility of establishing a Federal office
19
to—
20
(A) better advocate for EMS personnel,
21
collect data, promote EMS education, research,
22
and training; and
23
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•HR 1737 IH
(B) implement recommendations and ac-
1
tion plans based on the findings in the reports
2
under paragraphs (1) and (2).
3
(i) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
4
(1) EMS ORGANIZATION.—The term ‘‘EMS or-
5
ganization’’ means a nongovernmental or govern-
6
mental entity that provides emergency medical serv-
7
ices.
8
(2) EMERGENCY
MEDICAL
SERVICES.—The
9
term ‘‘emergency medical services’’—
10
(A) means resources used by a licensed en-
11
tity to deliver medical care outside of a medical
12
facility under emergency conditions that occur
13
as a result of the condition of the patient; and
14
(B) includes services provided (either on a
15
compensated or volunteer basis) at the location
16
of the emergency or en route to, or at, a health
17
care facility by an emergency medical services
18
provider or other provider that is licensed or
19
certified by the State involved as an emergency
20
medical technician, a paramedic, or an equiva-
21
lent professional (as determined by the State).
22
(3) MEDICAL TRANSPORT.—The term ‘‘medical
23
transport’’ means the transportation, by ambulance,
24
of sick, injured, or otherwise incapacitated persons
25
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•HR 1737 IH
who require emergency medical care to a health care
1
facility, including a hospital, clinic, or alternative
2
destination.
3
(4) QUALIFIED APPLICANT.—The term ‘‘quali-
4
fied applicant’’ means—
5
(A) an EMS organization; or
6
(B) a State (or a political subdivision
7
thereof), Indian Tribe, Tribal organization (as
8
those terms are defined in section 4 of the In-
9
dian Self-Determination and Education Assist-
10
ance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)), territory, or mu-
11
nicipality.
12
(5) RURAL
AREA.—The term ‘‘rural area’’
13
means—
14
(A) a nonmetropolitan statistical area;
15
(B) an area designated as a rural area by
16
any law or regulation of a State; or
17
(C) a rural census tract of a metropolitan
18
statistical area (as determined under the most
19
recent rural urban commuting area code as set
20
forth by the Office of Management and Budg-
21
et).
22
(6) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means a State
23
of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puer-
24
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to Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the
1
Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam.
2
Æ
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