[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 412 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 412

    To provide a pay incentive for border patrol agents to complete 
  emergency medical technician and paramedic training, to ensure that 
   language interpretation services are available at all U.S. Border 
                Patrol stations, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 7, 2019

 Mr. Heinrich (for himself, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Udall, and Ms. Harris) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
        Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To provide a pay incentive for border patrol agents to complete 
  emergency medical technician and paramedic training, to ensure that 
   language interpretation services are available at all U.S. Border 
                Patrol stations, 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 BORDER PATROL AGENTS.

    (a) Defined Term.--In this section, the term ``children'' means 
individuals who have not attained 18 years of age.
    (b) Medical Training.--
            (1) In general.--Section 411 of the Homeland Security Act 
        of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 211) is amended--
                    (A) in subsection (c)(17), by striking ``subsection 
                (l)'' and inserting ``subsections (l) and (m)'';
                    (B) by redesignating subsections (m), (n), (o), 
                (p), (q), and (r) as subsections (n), (o), (p), (q), 
                (r), and (s), respectively; and
                    (C) by inserting after subsection (l) the 
                following:
    ``(m) Medical Training for Border Patrol Agents.--
            ``(1) In general.--
                    ``(A) Availability.--Beginning not later than 6 
                months after the date of the enactment of this 
                subsection, the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border 
                Protection shall make available, at no cost to U.S. 
                Border Patrol agents selected for such training, 
                emergency medical technician (referred to in this 
                subsection as `EMT') and paramedic training in each 
                U.S. Border Patrol sector along the southern land 
                border of the United States. Such training shall 
                include pediatric medical training, which shall utilize 
                nationally recognized pediatric training curricula that 
                includes emergency pediatric care.
                    ``(B) 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 
                pursuant to subparagraph (A) in order to achieve or 
                maintain an EMT or paramedic certification.
                    ``(C) Lodging and per diem.--Lodging and per diem 
                shall be made available to border patrol agents 
                attending training described in subparagraph (B) if 
                such training is not available at a location within 
                commuting distance of the agent's residence or 
                worksite.
                    ``(D) Service commitment.--Any U.S. Border Patrol 
                agent who completes a paramedic certification 
                preparation program pursuant to subparagraph (A) 
                shall--
                            ``(i) complete 3 years of service as a U.S. 
                        Border Patrol agent following the completion of 
                        such training; or
                            ``(ii) reimburse U.S. Customs and Border 
                        Protection in an amount equal to the product 
                        of--
                                    ``(I) the cost of providing such 
                                training to such agent; multiplied by
                                    ``(II) the percentage of the 
                                service required under clause (i) that 
                                the agent failed to complete.
            ``(2) Increase in rate of pay for border patrol medical 
        certification.--
                    ``(A) EMT certification.--A U.S. Border Patrol 
                agent who has completed EMT training pursuant to 
                paragraph (1)(A) 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.
                    ``(B) Paramedic certification.--A U.S. Border 
                Patrol agent who has completed paramedic training 
                pursuant to paragraph (1)(A) 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.
                    ``(C) Existing certifications.--A U.S. Border 
                Patrol agent who did not participate in the training 
                made available pursuant to paragraph (1)(A), 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 (except for subparagraph (A) or (B)), 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.
            ``(3) Availability of medically trained border patrol 
        agents.--Not later than 3 years after the date of the enactment 
        of the REMOTE Act, the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border 
        Protection shall--
                    ``(A) 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) 10 percent of all U.S. Border Patrol 
                        agents have EMT certifications and comprise not 
                        fewer than 10 percent of all border patrol 
                        agents assigned to each U.S. Border Patrol 
                        sector; and
                            ``(iii) 1 percent of all U.S. Border Patrol 
                        agents have paramedic certifications and 
                        comprise not fewer than 1 percent of all U.S. 
                        Border Patrol agents assigned to each U.S. 
                        Border Patrol sector; and
                    ``(B) in determining the assigned posts of U.S. 
                Border Patrol agents who have received training under 
                paragraph (1)(A), give priority to remote stations and 
                forward operating bases.
            ``(4) Medical supplies.--
                    ``(A) 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 and for use while on patrol. 
                Such supplies shall include--
                            ``(i) supplies designed for children;
                            ``(ii) first aid kits; and
                            ``(iii) oral hydration, such as water.
                    ``(B) Consultation.--In developing the minimum list 
                of medical supplies required under subparagraph (A), 
                the Commissioner shall consult national organizations 
                with expertise in emergency medical care, including 
                emergency medical care of children.
            ``(5) 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.''.
            (2) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
        to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out 
        section 5550(g) of title 5, United States Code, as added by 
        paragraph (1).
    (c) Identifying and Treating Individuals Experiencing Medical 
Distress.--
            (1) Online training.--
                    (A) 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 border patrol agents and officers, 
                including agents and officers with EMT or paramedic 
                certification, to complete an online training program 
                that meets nationally recognized standards for the 
                medical care of children that will enable U.S. Border 
                Patrol agents and officers--
                            (i) to identify common signs of medical 
                        distress in children; and
                            (ii) to ensure the timely transport of sick 
                        or injured children to an appropriate medical 
                        provider.
                    (B) Contract.--In developing or selecting an online 
                training program under subparagraph (A), the 
                Commissioner may enter into a contract with a national 
                professional medical association of pediatric medical 
                providers.
            (2) Voice access to medical professionals.--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 on the southern border 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. Access under this paragraph may be accomplished through 
        mobile phones, satellite mobile radios, or other means 
        prescribed by the Commissioner.

SEC. 3. LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION SERVICES.

    The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall ensure 
that language interpretation services, either in person or remotely 
through electronic technology, are continuously available at all remote 
U.S. Border Patrol stations, forward operating bases, and remote ports 
of entry on the southern border for any language that is commonly 
spoken by migrants seeking to enter the United States through the 
southern border.
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