I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2853 

To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide grants to State emergency 

medical service departments to provide for the expedited training and 

licensing of veterans with prior medical training, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 7, 2011 

Mrs. CAPPS (for herself, Mr. FILNER, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Ms. SPEIER, 

Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, Mr. SARBANES, Mr. ENGEL, and 

Ms. NORTON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide grants 

to State emergency medical service departments to provide for the expedited training and licensing of veterans 

with prior medical training, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Emergency Medic 

5 Transition (EMT) Act of 2011’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR EXPEDITED TRAINING AND LICENS2 ING OF VETERANS AS EMERGENCY MEDICAL 

3 TECHNICIANS. 

4 Title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 

5 241 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 330J 

6 the following new section: 

7 ‘‘SEC. 330J–1. GRANTS FOR EXPEDITED LICENSING OF VET8 ERANS AS EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNI9 CIANS. 

10 ‘‘(a) GRANTS.—The Secretary shall award grants to 

11 eligible entities to provide for the expedited training and 

12 licensing, as emergency medical technicians, of veterans 

13 who received training as emergency medical technicians 

14 while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States. 

15 ‘‘(b) ELIGIBILITY.—An entity is eligible to receive a 

16 grant under this section if— 

17 ‘‘(1) the entity is— 

18 ‘‘(A) a State emergency medical services 

19 office; or 

20 ‘‘(B) any other appropriate State entity 

21 with jurisdiction over emergency medical per22 sonnel; and 

23 ‘‘(2) the entity prepares and submits to the 

24 Secretary an application at such time, in such man25 ner, and containing such information as the Sec26 retary may require, that includes— 


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1 ‘‘(A) a description of the activities to be 

2 carried out under the grant; and 

3 ‘‘(B) an assurance that the eligible entity 

4 will comply with the requirements of this sec5 tion. 

6 ‘‘(c) USE OF FUNDS.— 

7 ‘‘(1) RECRUITING AND TRAINING.—An eligible 

8 entity shall use amounts received under a grant 

9 made under subsection (a)— 

10 ‘‘(A) to recruit emergency medical techni11 cians from among veterans who received train12 ing as emergency medical technicians while 

13 serving in the Armed Forces of the United 

14 States; 

15 ‘‘(B) to provide to such veterans required 

16 course work and training that take into ac17 count, and are not duplicative of, medical 

18 course work and training received when such 

19 veterans were active members of the Armed 

20 Forces of the United States, to enable such vet21 erans to satisfy emergency medical services per22 sonnel certification requirements in the civilian 

23 sector, as determined by the appropriate State 

24 regulatory entity; and 


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1 ‘‘(C) to reimburse individuals who are cer2 tified as emergency medical technicians pursu3 ant to the program under this section for the 

4 costs of receiving certification and licensing 

5 from the appropriate State entity. 

6 ‘‘(2) PARTNERSHIPS WITH EDUCATIONAL AND

7 OTHER INSTITUTIONS.—An eligible entity may enter 

8 into an agreement with any institution of higher 

9 education, or other educational institution certified 

10 to provide training to emergency medical personnel, 

11 for purposes of providing training under this section 

12 if such institution has developed a suitable cur13 riculum that meets the requirements of paragraph 

14 (1)(B). 

15 ‘‘(3) ELIGIBLE VETERANS.—An individual is el16 igible to receive training under this subsection if the 

17 individual provides to the eligible entity concerned— 

18 ‘‘(A) proof of honorable discharge from the 

19 Armed Forces of the United States; 

20 ‘‘(B) proof of successful completion of mili21 tary emergency medical training, including a 

22 detailed description of the emergency medical 

23 curriculum completed; 

24 ‘‘(C) a detailed description of the appli25 cant’s clinical experience; and 


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1 ‘‘(D) such additional information as the el2 igible entity considers necessary. 

3 ‘‘(4) PRIORITY.—An eligible entity shall give 

4 priority to providing training under this subsection 

5 to individuals who will serve as emergency medical 

6 technicians in areas that provide a high volume of 

7 emergency medical services and trauma care within 

8 the State in which the eligible entity is located. 

9 ‘‘(5) LIMITATION.—None of the funds received 

10 under a grant made under subsection (a) may be 

11 used by an eligible entity for its operational ex12 penses. 

13 ‘‘(d) AUTHORIZATION.—There are authorized to be 

14 appropriated such sums as may be necessary.’’. 

Æ 


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