[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 97 (Thursday, June 25, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S7077]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. LEAHY (for himself and Mr. Sanders):
  S. 1353. A bill to amend title 1 of the Omnibus Crime Control and 
Safe Streets Act of 1986 to include nonprofit and volunteer ground and 
air ambulance crew members and first responders for certain benefits; 
to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation that 
will correct an inequality in the Department of Justice's Public Safety 
Officers Benefits, PSOB, Program by extending benefits to non-profit 
EMS providers who die or are disabled in the line of duty. I am pleased 
to be joined in this effort by Senator Sanders.
  Vermonters were deeply saddened earlier this week when we received 
word that veteran EMT specialist Dale Long died in a tragic, on-duty 
accident in Bennington. Dale Long had a superb 25-year career as a 
Vermont EMT, and I extend our deepest condolences to his family, to the 
Bennington Rescue Squad, and to the entire Vermont EMT community.
  First responders nationwide literally put their lives at risk every 
day for the people of their communities. They represent the best of our 
nation's dedicated service to others, and Dale Long was a solid example 
of that tradition. He was Bennington Rescue Squad's 2008 EMT of the 
Year, and a 2009 recipient of the American Ambulance Association's Star 
of Life Award. I had the pleasure of meeting Dale just last month when 
he visited my office during the Star of Life festivities.
  This tragedy highlights a major shortcoming in the current PSOB 
program, which Congress established over 30 years ago to provide 
assistance to police, fire and medics who lose their lives or are 
disabled in the line of duty. The benefit, though, only applies to 
public safety officers employed by a federal, state, and local 
government entity. With many communities around the United States 
choosing to have their emergency medical services provided by non-
profit agencies, medics working for non-profit services unfortunately 
are not eligible for benefits under the PSOB program.
  Non-profit public safety officers provide identical services to 
governmental officers and do so daily in the same dangerous 
environments. With a renewed appreciation for the important community 
service of first responders since the national tragedy of September 11, 
2001, more people are answering the call to serve their communities. At 
the same time, more rescue workers are falling through the cracks of 
the PSOB program.
  The Dale Long Emergency Medical Service Provider Protection Act would 
correct this inequality by extending the PSOB program to cover non-
profit EMS officers who provide emergency medical and ground or air 
ambulance service. These emergency professionals protect and promote 
the public good of the communities they serve, and we should not 
unfairly penalize them and their families simply because they work or 
volunteer for a non-profit organization.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 1353

       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 ``Dale Long Emergency Medical 
     Service Providers Protection Act''.

     SEC. 2. BENEFITS FOR CERTAIN NONPROFIT EMERGENCY MEDICAL 
                   SERVICE PROVIDERS.

       Section 1204 of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and 
     Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796b) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (7), by striking ``public employee member 
     of a rescue squad or ambulance crew'' and inserting 
     ``employee or volunteer member of a rescue squad or ambulance 
     crew (including a ground or air ambulance service) that--
       ``(A) is a public agency; or
       ``(B) is (or is a part of) a nonprofit entity serving the 
     public that is officially authorized or licensed--
       ``(i) to engage in rescue activity or to provide emergency 
     medical services; and
       ``(ii) to respond to an emergency situation;''; and
       (2) in paragraph (9)--
       (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``as a chaplain'' and 
     all that follows through the semicolon, and inserting ``or as 
     a chaplain;'';
       (B) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking ``or'' after the 
     semicolon;
       (C) in subparagraph (C)(ii), by striking the period and 
     inserting ``; or''; and
       (D) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(D) a member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew who, as 
     authorized or licensed by law and by the applicable agency or 
     entity, is engaging in rescue activity or in the provision of 
     emergency medical services.''.

     SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

       The amendments made by section 2(1) of this Act shall apply 
     only to injuries sustained on or after January 1, 2009.
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