MGP introduces bipartisan bill to tackle EMS staffing shortages and streamline veteran hiring

On Tuesday, U.S. Reps. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania, and Brad Finstad, R-Minnesota, introduced the bipartisan Preserve Access to Rapid Ambulance Emergency Medical Treatment (PARA-EMT) Act. 

The bill would address EMS staffing shortages and make it easier for experienced veterans to transition from medics to becoming certified paramedics and EMTs, according to a news release from Gluesenkamp Perez. 

The nation’s emergency medical services (EMS) system is facing a staffing shortage that has been building for more than a decade, the release noted. High employee turnover has resulted in longer 911 response times and increased burnout for EMTs and paramedics, especially in rural communities, according to the release. 

Gluesenkamp Perez said the PARA-EMT Act includes several provisions to bolster the EMS workforce, including:

• It creates an EMS preparedness and response workforce shortage pilot grant program to strengthen recruitment and retention of EMTs and paramedics.
• It prioritizes rural communities and ensures 20% or more of the grants are made to rural EMS agencies.
• It establishes a grant program for states to cover transition costs to make it easier for experienced veterans transitioning from medics to becoming certified EMTs and paramedics.
• It directs the secretary of labor and the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a study of EMS workforce conditions and report findings to Congress.

“When you dial 911, it’s critical that lifesaving emergency services are quickly on their way — no matter your ZIP code,” Gluesenkamp Perez stated in the release. “Our bipartisan legislation will address EMS workforce shortages by supporting recruitment and retention, while prioritizing rural communities where it can be more difficult to cover vast terrain. It will also cut red tape for qualified veterans who are looking to build on their service to our nation by becoming a certified EMT or paramedic.”

Last year, Gluesenkamp Perez was recognized by the American Ambulance Association as a 2024 Legislator of the Year for her commitment to addressing critical workforce shortages facing emergency medical services, the release stated. Last year, the congresswoman also secured $963,000 for Skamania County to upgrade EMS communications systems.

The lawmakers previously introduced the legislation in the 118th Congress but it did not become law.