Supporting Our First Responders Act

Subjects: Health


<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1737 Introduced in House (IH)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






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 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    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 
            referred 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 Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Supporting Our First Responders 
Act''.

SEC. 2. EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Emergency Medical Services Grant Program.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
        (referred to in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall establish 
        a program, to be known as the ``Emergency Medical Services 
        (EMS) Grant Program'' (in this section referred to as the 
        ``Program''), through which the Secretary shall award grants on 
        a competitive basis to qualified applicants.
            (2) Eligibility.--To be eligible for a grant under the 
        Program, a qualified applicant shall submit to the Secretary an 
        application at such a time, in such manner, and containing such 
        information as the Secretary may require, including the 
        following:
                    (A) A description of the financial need of the 
                qualified applicant.
                    (B) An analysis of the costs and benefits, with 
                respect to improving medical transport and emergency 
                medical services (referred to in this section as 
                ``EMS''), of the activities to be carried out through 
                the grant.
            (3) Joint applications.--A qualified applicant may submit a 
        joint application with one or more other qualified applicants 
        under this subsection.
            (4) Peer review of grant applications.--The Secretary, 
        after consultation with national qualified applicants, shall 
        appoint representatives of volunteer, governmental, Tribal, 
        for-profit, and nonprofit qualified applicants and entities to 
        conduct peer review of applications.
            (5) Selection considerations.--In awarding grants under the 
        Program the Secretary shall consider each of the following:
                    (A) The findings and recommendations of the peer 
                reviews carried out under paragraph (4).
                    (B) The degree to which an award will improve the 
                coverage, response times, and ability of qualified 
                applicants to provide medical transport and emergency 
                medical services.
                    (C) The extent of the need of an applicant for a 
                grant under this subsection and the need to protect the 
                United States as a whole.
                    (D) Whether a qualified applicant has previously 
                received Federal funding.
            (6) Prioritization among for-profit qualified applicants.--
        In awarding grants under the Program, the Secretary shall, in 
        selecting among qualified applicants that operate for profit, 
        give priority to such applicants that are smaller for profit 
        entities, determined on an annual basis based on the net 
        profits of the entity and the number of employees hired during 
        the preceding year.
    (b) Purposes.--Grants made under the Program may be used by 
recipient qualified applicants for the following purposes:
            (1) Maintaining, or, if appropriate, increasing, the number 
        of trained front-line EMS responders, whether paid or 
        volunteer, including providing salaries and stipends.
            (2) Providing mental health programs for qualified 
        applicant personnel.
            (3) Covering or reimbursing costs associated with 
        certification and recertification courses.
            (4) Obtaining resources, including purchasing personal 
        protective equipment, uniforms, medicine, and medical supplies.
            (5) Constructing or modifying facilities in such a way so 
        as to improve coverage, response time, and ability of qualified 
        applicants to provide medical transport and emergency medical 
        services.
            (6) Upgrading or purchasing EMS vehicles, communications 
        equipment, and mapping equipment.
            (7) Establishing or supporting community paramedicine or 
        mobile integrated healthcare initiatives.
    (c) Allocation of Grant Awards.--
            (1) Limitation.--
                    (A) For profit.--
                            (i) In general.--Not more than two percent 
                        of grants awarded under the Program may be made 
                        available to qualified applicants that operate 
                        for profit or to otherwise support efforts to 
                        establish or provide emergency medical 
                        services, or medical transport, for profit.
                            (ii) Maximum amount.--A grant under the 
                        Program to such a for-profit qualified 
                        applicant (if singly) or to such qualified 
                        applicants (if a result of a joint application) 
                        or to otherwise so support such efforts shall 
                        be in an amount not to exceed $100,000.
                            (iii) Purposes.--A qualified applicant that 
                        operates for profit may use funds awarded 
                        through a grant under the Program only for the 
                        purposes specified in paragraphs (1), (2), and 
                        (3) of subsection (b).
                    (B) Time-based.--A for-profit qualified applicant 
                (if singly) or qualified applicants (if a result of a 
                joint application) awarded a grant under the Program 
                may not apply for another such award for a period of 
                three years.
            (2) Further limitation.--A grant under the Program to a 
        not-for-profit qualified applicant or a joint application shall 
        be in an amount not to exceed $300,000.
            (3) Reservation.--Not less than 20 percent of grants 
        awarded under the Program shall be made available to qualified 
        applicants in rural areas.
    (d) Metrics.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
develop metrics to assess the effectiveness of the Program in improving 
the coverage, response times, and ability of qualified applicants to 
provide medical transport and emergency medical services.
    (e) Claw Backs.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
make every available effort to recover grant funds in case of 
noncompliance. To carry out this subsection, the Secretary shall 
establish a process through which notification is conveyed to qualified 
applicants determined to be in noncompliance, and such organizations 
are provided an opportunity to respond to such notification prior to 
the recovery of such funds.
    (f) Assessments; Reports.--Not later than two years after the date 
of the enactment of this Act and not less frequently than biennially 
after, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall--
            (1) conduct an assessment of the Program based on the 
        metrics developed pursuant to subsection (d); and
            (2) submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
        House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, 
        Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate a report 
        summarizing the findings of the assessment and recommendations 
        to strengthen the overall program.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Health and Human Services--
            (1) for each of the first 5 fiscal years following the date 
        of the enactment of this Act, $50,000,000 to carry out the 
        Program; and
            (2) for each of such fiscal years, $5,000,000 to provide 
        technical assistance to qualified applicants completing and 
        submitting applications.
    (h) Reports.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human 
        Services, in consultation with the Administrator of the Centers 
        for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Administrator of the 
        Health Resources and Services Administration, the Assistant 
        Secretary for Preparedness and Response, and EMS stakeholders, 
        shall submit to Congress a report that--
                    (A) details the challenges, disparities, and 
                inadequacies in providing Federal, State, and private 
                (including commercial insurers) reimbursement for 
                medical transport and emergency medical services; and
                    (B) provides recommendations for improvement with 
                respect to providing such reimbursement.
            (2) Qualified applicants.--Not later than 90 days after the 
        date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and 
        Human Services, in consultation with the Administrator of the 
        Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Administrator 
        of the Health Resources and Services Administration, the 
        Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, and EMS 
        stakeholders, shall submit to Congress a report that--
                    (A) describes the challenges specific to qualified 
                applicants, including with respect to Federal, State, 
                and private (including private insurers) reimbursement 
                rates and policies; and
                    (B) contains an action plan to address such 
                challenges through grants and other administrative 
                action.
            (3) Establishing a federal ems office.--Not later than 90 
        days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
        of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the 
        Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 
        Services, the Administrator of the Health Resources and 
        Services Administration, the Assistant Secretary for 
        Preparedness and Response, and EMS stakeholders, shall submit 
        to Congress a report that assesses the feasibility of 
        establishing a Federal office to--
                    (A) better advocate for EMS personnel, collect 
                data, promote EMS education, research, and training; 
                and
                    (B) implement recommendations and action plans 
                based on the findings in the reports under paragraphs 
                (1) and (2).
    (i) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) EMS organization.--The term ``EMS organization'' means 
        a nongovernmental or governmental entity that provides 
        emergency medical services.
            (2) Emergency medical services.--The term ``emergency 
        medical services''--
                    (A) means resources used by a licensed entity to 
                deliver medical care outside of a medical facility 
                under emergency conditions that occur as a result of 
                the condition of the patient; and
                    (B) includes services provided (either on a 
                compensated or volunteer basis) at the location of the 
                emergency or en route to, or at, a health care facility 
                by an emergency medical services provider or other 
                provider that is licensed or certified by the State 
                involved as an emergency medical technician, a 
                paramedic, or an equivalent professional (as determined 
                by the State).
            (3) Medical transport.--The term ``medical transport'' 
        means the transportation, by ambulance, of sick, injured, or 
        otherwise incapacitated persons who require emergency medical 
        care to a health care facility, including a hospital, clinic, 
        or alternative destination.
            (4) Qualified applicant.--The term ``qualified applicant'' 
        means--
                    (A) an EMS organization; or
                    (B) a State (or a political subdivision thereof), 
                Indian Tribe, Tribal organization (as those terms are 
                defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination 
                and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)), 
                territory, or municipality.
            (5) Rural area.--The term ``rural area'' means--
                    (A) a nonmetropolitan statistical area;
                    (B) an area designated as a rural area by any law 
                or regulation of a State; or
                    (C) a rural census tract of a metropolitan 
                statistical area (as determined under the most recent 
                rural urban commuting area code as set forth by the 
                Office of Management and Budget).
            (6) State.--The term ``State'' means a State of the United 
        States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin 
        Islands, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and 
        Guam.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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