Veteran Emergency Medical Technician Support Act of 2016
Floor Speech
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Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1818) to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide grants to States to streamline State requirements and procedures for veterans with military emergency medical training to become civilian emergency medical technicians, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 1818
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 ``Veteran Emergency Medical Technician Support Act of 2016''. SEC. 2. ASSISTING VETERANS WITH MILITARY EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRAINING TO MEET REQUIREMENTS FOR BECOMING CIVILIAN EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS.
Part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 243 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 314 the following: ``SEC. 315. ASSISTING VETERANS WITH MILITARY EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRAINING TO MEET REQUIREMENTS FOR BECOMING CIVILIAN EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS.
``(a) Program.--The Secretary shall establish a program consisting of awarding demonstration grants to States to streamline State requirements and procedures in order to assist veterans who completed military emergency medical technician training while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States to meet certification, licensure, and other requirements applicable to becoming an emergency medical technician in the State.
``(b) Use of Funds.--Amounts received as a demonstration grant under this section shall be used to prepare and implement a plan to streamline State requirements and procedures as described in subsection (a), including by--
``(1) determining the extent to which the requirements for the education, training, and skill level of emergency medical technicians in the State are equivalent to requirements for the education, training, and skill level of military emergency medical technicians; and
``(2) identifying methods, such as waivers, for military emergency medical technicians to forgo or meet any such equivalent State requirements.
``(c) Eligibility.--To be eligible for a grant under this section, a State shall demonstrate that the State has a shortage of emergency medical technicians.
``(d) Report.--The Secretary shall submit to the Congress an annual report on the program under this section.
``(e) Funding.--No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated for the purpose of carrying out this section. This section shall be carried out using amounts otherwise available for such purpose.''.
I rise in support of H.R. 1818, the Veteran Emergency Medical Technician Support Act of 2016, introduced by my colleagues on the Committee on Energy and Commerce--Mr. Kinzinger from Illinois and Mrs. Capps from California.
Members of the U.S. military who trained as combat medics face State licensing challenges when they try to find similar work after discharge. Many States do not recognize their qualifications as being applicable to the licensing requirements of the civilian healthcare system for emergency medical services, such as EMTs or paramedics. State licensing laws vary, and while some States make exceptions for former military medics to allow for reciprocity and a chance to sit for the licensing exam without repeating their training, many States do not.
This legislation would provide grants to States with emergency medical technician shortages so as to help streamline State requirements for veterans to enter the EMT workforce without there being an unnecessary duplication of their training. This will help them more easily transition to their becoming civilian EMTs.
I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
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Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to vote for H.R. 1818.
I yield back the balance of my time.
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Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
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