REMOTE Act
Bill: S.1515 | Sponsor: Sen. Heinrich, Martin (D-NM)
Policy area: Immigration

Summary:
Remote, Emergency, Medical, Online Training, Telehealth, and EMT Act or the REMOTE Act
This bill requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to take actions to improve CBP medical services along the southern border.
CBP shall make emergency medical technician (EMT) and paramedic training available to selected border patrol agents along the southern border. Agents that complete the training or already have EMT or paramedic certifications shall receive specified pay increases.
The bill imposes requirements related to (1) the percentage of agents with EMT or paramedic training assigned in each sector, and (2) minimum levels of various medical supplies in each sector.
Furthermore, CBP shall require all border patrol agents and officers to complete online training on how to (1) identify common signs of medical distress in children, and (2) timely transfer sick children to medical care.
CBP shall also ensure that all remote stations, forward operating bases, and remote ports of entry on the southern border have voice access to a medical command physician.

To provide a pay incentive for border patrol agents to complete 
  emergency medical technician and paramedic training, 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 TITLES.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Remote, Emergency, Medical, Online 
Training, Telehealth, and EMT Act'' or the ``REMOTE Act''.

SEC. 2. MEDICAL TRAINING FOR U.S. BORDER PATROL AGENTS.

    (a) In General.--Section 411 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 
(6 U.S.C. 211) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (l)--
                    (A) by striking ``The Commissioner'' and inserting 
                the following:
            ``(1) Continuing education.--The Commissioner''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(2) Medical training for u.s. border patrol agents.--
                    ``(A) In general.--
                            ``(i) Availability.--Beginning not later 
                        than 6 months after the date of the enactment 
                        of the REMOTE Act, the Commissioner shall make 
                        available, in each U.S. Border Patrol sector, 
                        at no cost to U.S. Border Patrol agents 
                        selected for such training, emergency medical 
                        technician (referred to in this paragraph as 
                        `EMT') and paramedic training, including 
                        pediatric medical training, which shall utilize 
                        nationally recognized pediatric training 
                        curricula that includes emergency pediatric 
                        care.
                            ``(ii) Use of official duty time.--A U.S. 
                        Border Patrol agent shall be credited with work 
                        time for any EMT or paramedic training provided 
                        to such agent under clause (i) in order to 
                        achieve or maintain an EMT or paramedic 
                        certification.
                            ``(iii) Obligated overtime.--A U.S. Border 
                        Patrol agent shall not accrue any debt of 
                        obligated overtime hours that the agent may 
                        have incurred, pursuant to section 5550(b) of 
                        title 5, United States Code, in order to 
                        achieve or maintain a paramedic certification.
                            ``(iv) Lodging and per diem.--Lodging and 
                        per diem shall be made available to U.S. Border 
                        Patrol agents attending training described in 
                        clause (i) if such training is not available at 
                        a location within commuting distance of the 
                        agent's residence or worksite.
                            ``(v) Service commitment.--Any U.S. Border 
                        Patrol agent who completes a certification 
                        preparation program pursuant to clause (i) 
                        shall--
                                    ``(I) complete 1 year of service as 
                                a U.S. Border Patrol agent following 
                                the completion of EMT training;
                                    ``(II) complete 3 years of service 
                                as a U.S. Border Patrol agent following 
                                the completion of paramedic training; 
                                or
                                    ``(III) reimburse U.S. Customs and 
                                Border Protection in an amount equal to 
                                the product of--
                                            ``(aa) the cost of 
                                        providing such training to such 
                                        agent; multiplied by
                                            ``(bb) the percentage of 
                                        the service required under 
                                        subclauses (I) and (II) that 
                                        the agent failed to complete.
                    ``(B) Increase in rate of pay for border patrol 
                medical certification.--
                            ``(i) Emt certification.--A U.S. Border 
                        Patrol agent who has completed EMT training 
                        pursuant to subparagraph (A)(i) and has a 
                        current, State-issued or State-recognized 
                        certification as an EMT shall receive, in 
                        addition to the pay to which the agent is 
                        otherwise entitled under this section, an 
                        amount equal to 5 percent of such pay.
                            ``(ii) Paramedic certification.--A U.S. 
                        Border Patrol agent who has completed paramedic 
                        training pursuant to subparagraph (A)(i) and 
                        has a current, State-issued or State-recognized 
                        certification as a paramedic shall receive, in 
                        addition to the pay to which the agent is 
                        otherwise entitled under this section (except 
                        for subparagraph (A)), an amount equal to 10 
                        percent of such pay.
                            ``(iii) Existing certifications.--A U.S. 
                        Border Patrol agent who did not participate in 
                        the training made available pursuant to 
                        subparagraph (A)(i), but, as of the date of the 
                        enactment of the REMOTE Act, has a current 
                        State-issued or State-recognized EMT or 
                        paramedic certification, shall receive, in 
                        addition to the pay to which the agent is 
                        otherwise entitled under this section 
                        (excluding the application of clause (i) and 
                        (ii)), an amount equal to--
                                    ``(I) 5 percent of such pay for an 
                                EMT certification; and
                                    ``(II) 10 percent of such pay for a 
                                paramedic certification.
                    ``(C) Availability of medically trained border 
                patrol agents.--Not later than 6 months after the date 
                of the enactment of the REMOTE Act, the Commissioner of 
                U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall--
                            ``(i) ensure that--
                                    ``(I) U.S. Border Patrol agents 
                                with current EMT or paramedic 
                                certifications are stationed at each 
                                U.S. Border Patrol sector and remote 
                                station along the southern border to 
                                the greatest extent possible;
                                    ``(II) not fewer than 10 percent of 
                                all U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned 
                                to each U.S. Border Patrol sector have 
                                EMT certifications; and
                                    ``(III) not fewer than 1 percent of 
                                all U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned 
                                to each U.S. Border Patrol sector have 
                                paramedic certifications; and
                            ``(ii) in determining the assigned posts of 
                        U.S. Border Patrol agents who have received 
                        training under subparagraph (A)(i), give 
                        priority to remote stations and forward 
                        operating bases.
                    ``(D) Medical supplies.--
                            ``(i) Minimum list.--The Commissioner of 
                        U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall 
                        provide minimum medical supplies to each U.S. 
                        Border Patrol agent with an EMT or paramedic 
                        certification and to each U.S. Border Patrol 
                        sector, including all remote stations and 
                        forward operating bases, for use while on 
                        patrol, including--
                                    ``(I) supplies designed for 
                                children;
                                    ``(II) first aid kits; and
                                    ``(III) oral hydration, such as 
                                water.
                            ``(ii) Consultation.--In developing the 
                        minimum list of medical supplies required under 
                        clause (i), the Commissioner shall consult 
                        national organizations with expertise in 
                        emergency medical care, including emergency 
                        medical care of children.
                    ``(E) Motor vehicles.--The Commissioner of U.S. 
                Customs and Border Protection shall make available 
                appropriate motor vehicles to U.S. Border Patrol agents 
                with current EMT or paramedic certifications to enable 
                them to provide necessary emergency medical assistance.
                    ``(F) GAO report.--Not later than 3 years after the 
                date of the enactment of the REMOTE Act, the 
                Comptroller General of the United States shall--
                            ``(i) review the progress of the U.S. 
                        Customs and Border Protection's promotion in 
                        reaching the goal of up to 10 percent of all 
                        U.S. Border Patrol agents having EMT or 
                        paramedic certifications; and
                            ``(ii) provide a recommendation to Congress 
                        as to whether--
                                    ``(I) the Commissioner of U.S. 
                                Customs and Border Protection has 
                                effectively and vigorously undertaken 
                                an agency-wide effort to encourage and 
                                promote the mandate for medical 
                                training for U.S. Border Patrol agents 
                                under this paragraph;
                                    ``(II) additional incentive 
                                modifications are needed to achieve or 
                                maintain the goal, including pay 
                                differentials; and
                                    ``(III) the 10 percent goal is 
                                properly scoped to materially 
                                contribute to the preservation of life 
                                and the effectiveness and efficiency of 
                                U.S. Border Patrol operations, 
                                including whether the number is too 
                                high or too low.''; and
            (2) in subsection (r), by striking ``section, the terms'' 
        and inserting the following: ``section--
            ``(1) the term `child' means any individual who has not 
        reached 18 years of age; and
            ``(2) the terms''.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out section 
411(l)(2) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as added by subsection 
(a).

SEC. 3. IDENTIFYING AND TREATING INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING MEDICAL 
              DISTRESS.

    (a) Online Training.--
            (1) In general.--Beginning on the date that is 90 days 
        after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commissioner 
        of U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall require all U.S. 
        Border Patrol agents, including agents with EMT or paramedic 
        certification, to complete an online training program that 
        meets nationally recognized standards for the medical care of 
        children to enable U.S. Border Patrol agents--
                    (A) to identify common signs of medical distress in 
                children; and
                    (B) to ensure the timely transport of sick or 
                injured children to an appropriate medical provider.
            (2) Contract.--In developing or selecting an online 
        training program under paragraph (1), the Commissioner may 
        enter into a contract with a national professional medical 
        association of pediatric medical providers.
    (b) Voice Access to Medical Professionals.--
            (1) In general.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and 
        Border Protection shall ensure that all remote U.S. Border 
        Patrol stations, forward operating bases, and remote ports of 
        entry along the southern border of the United States have 24-
        hour voice access to a medical command physician whose board 
        certification includes the ability to perform this role or a 
        mid-level health care provider with pediatric training for 
        consultations regarding the medical needs of individuals, 
        including children, taken into custody near the United States 
        border.
            (2) Acceptable means of access.--Access under paragraph (1) 
        may be accomplished through mobile phones, satellite mobile 
        radios, or other means prescribed by the Commissioner.
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