[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8042 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8042

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants 
 to qualified entities to support community paramedicine programs, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 17, 2024

 Mr. Cleaver (for himself and Mr. Armstrong) introduced the following 
    bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants 
 to qualified entities to support community paramedicine programs, 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 ``Community Paramedicine Act of 
2024''.

SEC. 2. COMMUNITY PARAMEDICINE GRANT PROGRAM.

    Part P of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
280g et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 399V-8. COMMUNITY PARAMEDICINE GRANT PROGRAM.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Administrator 
of the Health Resources and Services Administration, shall award grants 
to qualified entities to support community paramedicine programs.
    ``(b) Use of Funds.--A grant received under subsection (a) may be 
used for any of the following:
            ``(1) Hiring community paramedicine personnel.
            ``(2) Recruiting and retaining community paramedicine 
        personnel.
            ``(3) Reimbursing costs associated with a medical director 
        providing medical oversight (as the terms `medical director' 
        and `medical oversight' are defined in section 303(k)(13) of 
        the Controlled Substances Act).
            ``(4) Purchasing necessary equipment, including personal 
        protective equipment, uniforms, medical supplies, and vehicles.
            ``(5) Reimbursing costs associated with certification and 
        recertification courses.
            ``(6) Conducting public outreach and education on the 
        patient-centered outcomes that can be achieved through 
        community paramedicine.
            ``(7) Any other activity the Secretary determines 
        appropriate related to paramedicine services.
    ``(c) Qualified Entities.--
            ``(1) In general.--To be qualified to receive a grant under 
        this section, an entity shall be (subject to paragraph (2)) one 
        of the following:
                    ``(A) An emergency medical services agency (as 
                defined in section 303(k)(13) of the Controlled 
                Substances Act).
                    ``(B) A State, Indian Tribe, Tribal organization, 
                county, or municipality.
                    ``(C) An organization representing the interests of 
                one or more emergency medical services organizations.
            ``(2) Limitation.--A for-profit entity is ineligible to 
        receive a grant under this section, but is eligible to receive 
        a subgrant from, or enter into a contract with, a grantee under 
        this section to provide items or services in connection with 
        the grant.
    ``(d) Applications.--
            ``(1) In general.--To seek a grant under this section, a 
        qualified entity shall submit an application at such time, in 
        such manner, and containing such information and assurances as 
        the Secretary may require.
            ``(2) Contents.--Any such application shall, at a minimum, 
        include the following:
                    ``(A) A description of the financial need of the 
                qualified entity.
                    ``(B) The costs and benefits of the community 
                paramedicine program to be supported through the grant.
            ``(3) Joint applications.--A qualified entity may submit an 
        application for a grant under this section jointly with one or 
        more other qualified entities.
    ``(e) Advisory Board.--The Secretary, after consultation with 
national community paramedicine, national fire service, national 
emergency medical service, and Tribal health organizations, shall 
appoint an advisory board--
            ``(1) to advise the Secretary on carrying out the grant 
        program under this section;
            ``(2) to assist the Secretary in preparing the report 
        required under subsection (a); and
            ``(3) to conduct peer review of applications for grants 
        under this section.
    ``(f) Selection Considerations.--In selecting the recipients of 
grants under this section, the Secretary shall consider each of the 
following:
            ``(1) The recommendations of the advisory board appointed 
        under paragraph (1) with respect to the applications for such 
        grants.
            ``(2) The need in the geographic area involved for the 
        community paramedicine program proposed to be funded.
    ``(g) Notice to Tribal Communities.--The Secretary shall give 
notice of the grant program under this section to the heads of 
community emergency management for Tribal communities.
    ``(h) Maximum Amount of Awards.--The maximum amount of an award 
under this section shall be--
            ``(1) in the case of a qualified entity applying 
        individually, $750,000; and
            ``(2) in the case of two or more qualified entities 
        applying jointly, $1,500,000.
    ``(i) Period of a Grant.--The period of a grant under this section 
shall not exceed 5 years.
    ``(j) Administrative Costs.--Of the amount received through a grant 
under this section for a fiscal year, a grantee may use not more than--
            ``(1) 10 percent for administrative costs for the first 
        year of grant funding; and
            ``(2) 5 percent for administrative costs for any subsequent 
        year of grant funding.
    ``(k) Reporting by Grantees.--As a condition on receipt of a grant 
under this section, a qualified entity shall agree to submit to the 
Secretary such information as the Secretary may require regarding the 
activities funded through the grant and the results of such activities.
    ``(l) Reporting by Secretary.--Not later than 90 days after the 
date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit a report 
to the Congress--
            ``(1) detailing the challenges of establishing and 
        operating community paramedicine programs, especially to serve 
        rural and underserved communities;
            ``(2) demonstrating the cost-savings and value of community 
        paramedicine programs to patients, communities, and the health 
        care system; and
            ``(3) providing recommendations for--
                    ``(A) establishing, and providing support for 
                ongoing operations of, community paramedicine programs;
                    ``(B) serving rural and underserved communities 
                through such programs; and
                    ``(C) best practices for community paramedicine 
                programs.
    ``(m) Definition.--In this section, the term `community 
paramedicine' means mobile-integrated health care through which 
communities utilize specially trained paramedics, often teamed with 
other health care practitioners or social workers, to--
            ``(1) address health problems;
            ``(2) minimize the use of emergency care resources in 
        circumstances when non-emergency resources like community 
        paramedic or mobile integrated healthcare (MIH) programs might 
        be used, thereby making emergency resources more available; and
            ``(3) enhance access to primary care for medically 
        underserved populations and those with acute and chronic health 
        issues.
    ``(n) Funding.--
            ``(1) Authorization of appropriations.--To carry out this 
        section, there is authorized to be appropriated $25,000,000 for 
        each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029.
            ``(2) Reservation.--Of the amount appropriated to award 
        grants under this section for a fiscal year, the Secretary--
                    ``(A) shall reserve 15 percent for applicants 
                proposing to use a grant to serve one or more Tribal 
                communities; and
                    ``(B) if the full amount of such reservation is not 
                obligated, may reallocate the unobligated portion for 
                grants to other qualified entities.''.
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