[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 56 (Tuesday, May 9, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E680]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  INTRODUCTION OF EMT/FLSA LEGISLATION

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DENNIS MOORE

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 9, 2000

  Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing legislation that will 
provide an overtime exemption for emergency medical technicians (EMTs) 
from section 7(k) of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). This 
exemption is already provided for fire protection and law enforcement 
personnel.
  Currently, EMTs are asked to work the same hours as fire protection 
or law enforcement personnel, but state and local governments are 
required to pay these employees overtime for any hours worked in excess 
of 40 hours in a work-week. The overtime costs are quite expensive for 
state and local governments and interfere with their ability to manage 
their employees in emergency situations.
  Last year, legislation was passed that extended the overtime 
exemption to emergency medical technicians who work in fire 
departments. This bill, however, did not include a significant number 
of county, city and other public sector employees who provide emergency 
medical services. For example, in Kansas the two largest public sector 
emergency medical service agencies are county agencies that function 
separately from fire departments and therefore are not covered by the 
recent legislation. Despite this separation, the duties for the EMTs 
and fire protection personnel in these areas are virtually identical. 
They are frequently required to work long hours in certain situations 
and they are often on-call; therefore, there should be no difference in 
the treatment of EMTs under the FLSA.
  This legislation will clarify the overtime exemption to include 
paramedics, emergency medical technicians, rescue workers, and 
ambulance personnel. It will provide flexibility to emergency managers 
by allowing them to schedule their employees based on need instead of 
being restricted by state and local budget constraints.
  I was asked to introduce this legislation by county officials from 
Johnson County, Kansas. I have included at the conclusion of this 
statement a letter of support from the Kansas State Council of Fire 
Fighters. This proposal also has the endorsement and full support of 
the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM).
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation will enable emergency managers to offer 
our communities the best public safety services, will lead to public 
accountability, and will save our state and local governments millions 
of dollars nationwide, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

         International Association of Fire Fighters Local 64,
                                     Kansas City, KS, May 3, 2000.
     Congressman Dennis Moore,
     Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Moore: IAFF Local 64 fire fighters, 
     paramedics, and emergency medical technicians would like to 
     ask you for your support for the Fair Labor Standards Act 
     bill as it relates to emergency medical technicians.
       Thank you for your assistance on this bill.
           Sincerely yours,
     Robert S. Wing,
                                         President, IAFF Local 64.
     William P. Young,
                               Secretary-Treasurer, IAFF Local 64.





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