Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions - S. 2351

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

By Ms. COLLINS (for herself and Mr. FEINGOLD):

S. 2351. A bill to establish a Federal Interagency Committee on Emergency Medical Services and a Federal Interagency Committee on Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Governmental Affairs.

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Emergency Medical Services Support Act of 2004 with my colleague, Senator RUSS FEINGOLD. This legislation will strengthen Federal efforts to support community-based emergency medical services across America.

A comprehensive, coordinated emergency medical services system is essential to assure quality care and prompt response in incidents ranging from automobile crashes to catastrophic weather to terrorist attacks. The emergency medical services system is a crucial part of our health care safety net.

Unfortunately, for the past twenty years, Federal support for EMS has been both inefficient and uncoordinated. No fewer than seven Federal agencies are involved in various aspects of emergency medical services. Most, however, focus on only one segment of the EMS system and don't effectively coordinate with other agencies.

In 2001, at the request of Senator FEINGOLD and myself, the General Accounting Office researched the status of this vital system. The GAO report, titled, "Emergency Medical Services: Reported needs are Wide-Ranging with a Growing Focus on Lack of Data," exposed the need to increase coordination among Federal agencies as they address the needs of regional, State, or local emergency medical services systems.

This legislation would formally establish a Federal Interagency Committee on Emergency Medical Services (FICEMS), which is currently an ad-hoc committee with little formal direction. It would require the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, to provide organizational and staff support.

This legislation would enhance coordination among the Federal agencies involved with the State, local, tribal and regional emergency medical services and 9-1-1 systems. It also would help Federal agencies coordinate their EMS-related activities and maximize the best use of established funding.

The President has recognized the need for this coordination. He included a similar proposal in his reauthorization proposal for the "Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity act of 2003" (SAFETEA) that was transmitted by Secretary Mineta to Congress on May 12, 2003. The Senate-passed highway bill also included a similar proposal.

The legislation we introduce today builds upon the Administration's proposal by creating a more effective structure and enhancing the role of local EMS providers into Federal EMS programs. While I support the provisions in the Senate-passed bill, they fail to create a mechanism for individuals at the state and local levels to provide input into how Federal EMS programs should be coordinated.

Local, State and Federal level emergency medical services systems are extremely diverse and involve numerous different agencies and organizations. To assure a viable, responsive emergency medical services system, Federal agencies need the input and advice of their non-Federal partners and from persons regulating or providing emergency medical services systems at the state and local level.

According to Tom Judge, the Executive Director of Lifeflight of Maine, an air ambulance provider, and Jay Bradshaw, the State of Maine's EMS Director, improved coordination can help strengthen support for a wide range of emergency medical services, from rural EMS providers, to communications between EMS systems, to improving coordination between local EMS providers and their Federal partners.

Another recent GAO report made it clear that the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services needs to better coordinate its reimbursement with the Department of Transportation's matching grants for equipment and vehicles. Many of Maine's rural communities, such as Rumford, are at risk of seeing their first ambulance service closures due to low-reimbursement rates. If DOT targeted assistance to the low reimbursement areas that are at risk of shutting down, we might be able to maintain service in these areas.

Decisions at the Federal Communications Commission regarding spectrum management could make most of the existing EMS and Fire radios obsolete over the next few years. In St. George, Maine, the volunteer Fire Rescue has 30 mobile and portable radios, 40 pagers, and a base station that could become obsolete. In making future decisions regarding spectrum management, the FCC must work with Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice to help communities purchase interoperable radios if their old ones become obsolete.

I am pleased to have the support of Maine EMS, LifeFlight of Maine, the American Ambulance Association, the National Association of EMS Directors, and others for this legislation.

We must ensure that Federal agencies coordinate their efforts to support the dedicated men and women who provide EMS services across our Nation. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting their efforts by cosponsoring this legislation.