[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 127 (Wednesday, September 19, 2012)]
[House]
[Pages H6142-H6144]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
VETERAN EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN SUPPORT ACT OF 2012
Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 4124) to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide grants to
States to streamline State requirements and procedures for veterans
with military emergency medical training to become civilian emergency
medical technicians, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4124
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 ``Veteran Emergency Medical
Technician Support Act of 2012''.
SEC. 2. ASSISTING VETERANS WITH MILITARY EMERGENCY MEDICAL
TRAINING TO MEET REQUIREMENTS FOR BECOMING
CIVILIAN EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS.
(a) In General.--Part B of title III of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 243 et seq.) is amended by inserting
after section 314 the following:
``SEC. 315. ASSISTING VETERANS WITH MILITARY EMERGENCY
MEDICAL TRAINING TO MEET REQUIREMENTS FOR
BECOMING CIVILIAN EMERGENCY MEDICAL
TECHNICIANS.
``(a) Program.--The Secretary shall establish a program
consisting of awarding demonstration grants to States to
streamline State requirements and procedures in order to
assist veterans who completed military emergency medical
technician training while serving in the Armed Forces of the
United States to meet certification, licensure, and other
requirements applicable to becoming an emergency medical
technician in the State.
``(b) Use of Funds.--Amounts received as a demonstration
grant under this section shall be used to prepare and
implement a plan to streamline State requirements and
procedures as described in subsection (a), including by--
``(1) determining the extent to which the requirements for
the education, training, and skill level of emergency medical
technicians in the State are equivalent to requirements for
the education, training, and skill level of military
emergency medical technicians; and
``(2) identifying methods, such as waivers, for military
emergency medical technicians to forego or meet any such
equivalent State requirements.
``(c) Eligibility.--To be eligible for a grant under this
section, a State shall demonstrate that the State has a
shortage of emergency medical technicians.
``(d) Report.--The Secretary shall submit to the Congress
an annual report on the program under this section.
``(e) Funding.--Of the amount authorized by section
751(j)(1) to be appropriated to carry out section 751 for
fiscal year 2013, there is authorized to be appropriated to
carry out this section $1,000,000 for the period of fiscal
years 2013 through 2017.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 751(j)(1) of the Public
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 294a(j)(1)) is amended by
striking ``There is authorized to be appropriated'' and
inserting ``Subject to section 315(e), there is authorized to
be appropriated''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts) and the gentlewoman from California (Mrs.
Capps) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
General Leave
Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
insert extraneous materials in the Record on H.R. 4124.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
There was no objection.
Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening in support of H.R. 4124, the Veteran
Emergency Medical Technician Support Act of 2012. This act would take
us forward
[[Page H6143]]
in two important ways: it would reduce the shortages of emergency
medical technicians in the United States and at the same time help our
veterans find employment.
Emergency response is a crucial component of our health care system
and preparedness strategy. EMTs are often the first point of contact in
a crisis situation, and their care can make the difference between life
and death. Emergency response is even more crucial on the battlefield,
where military medics respond to emergencies and provide care for the
soldiers until a physician or other health professional can take over.
These soldiers, trained as combat medics, become very experienced
dealing with massive trauma injuries and other complex health problems.
{time} 2120
It seems that utilizing those with military medic training in our EMT
workforce here at home would be good for the returning soldiers, good
for the health care system, and good for patients.
Areas throughout the United States are experiencing a shortage of
EMTs, and military medics could potentially fill those workforce gaps.
However, there are a number of issues keeping military medics from EMT
employment. Most importantly are State licensing requirements, which
can require duplicative training and education that is likely to be
unnecessary for someone with significant experience.
It is our hope that this bill would allow States to study this issue
and streamline their EMT requirements for those returning from the
military that have the experience so desperately needed in many
communities.
I would like to thank Mr. Kinzinger, a veteran who has served with
many of these military medics, and Mrs. Capps for their work on this
bill. I urge my colleagues to vote in support of this legislation.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 5 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, our military men and women are trained to perform at the
highest levels in a host of jobs. The individuals who serve our Nation
in uniform do so with distinction.
However, there is much more to be done to help our service men and
women and their families when they return home to translate those
skills and experiences into civilian service. That disconnect is what
we are trying to address here today.
Our military men and women receive some of the best technical
training in emergency medicine, and every day, on the battlefield, they
prove their skills under the very toughest of conditions. However, when
they return home, experienced military medics are often required to
start over. They must begin at entry-level curricula to receive
certification for civilian jobs.
Similarly, military medics with civilian credentials often must let
their civilian certifications lapse while they're defending our
country. Either way, this keeps our veterans out of the civilian
workforce and withholds valuable medical personnel from our
communities.
As a nurse, I know the importance of having qualified and capable
first responders in each of our communities, and that is why we must do
all we can to break down the artificial barriers that obstruct our
military medics from civilian opportunities.
So I am pleased to have joined Congressman Kinzinger to introduce
H.R. 4124, which is the Veteran Emergency Medical Technician Support
Act. This bill is a straightforward, bipartisan approach to help States
streamline their certification processes to take military medic
training into account for civilian licensure.
It's a small but very important step towards breaking down the
barriers that our servicemembers face when transitioning home.
While the bill directs States to undertake these demonstration
projects, I believe public and private organizations within the States,
like area health education centers, or AHECs, will be important
partners in the successful implementation of this initiative. This will
help engage and leverage expertise already in our States and
communities so that we can do our best by our veterans.
I also want to take a moment to thank the leadership of the Energy
and Commerce Committee, Chairman Upton, Ranking Member Waxman, Chairman
Pitts, and Ranking Member Pallone for their dedication to this bill and
to the staff for working in a bipartisan manner to bring this to the
floor.
Finally, I want to take a second to recognize a former congresswoman,
Jane Harman, who spearheaded this issue in the last Congress.
I urge my colleagues' support for this legislation, and I look
forward to swift consideration of it in the Senate.
At this point, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield at this time 5 minutes
to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kinzinger).
Mr. KINZINGER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I want to first off thank the
chairman for bringing this bill forward. I want to thank Chairman
Upton, the ranking member of both the full and subcommittee, and I
especially want to thank Congresswoman Capps for helping me on this.
This is an outstanding bill, and I thank you for your leadership.
Unemployment rates continue to be far too high among our men and
women who are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Returning veterans
deserve a smooth transition from the military into the civilian
workforce. As a Nation, we must recognize the experience and education
that our military-trained EMTs receive. It's inefficient to force these
well-trained veterans to start over with basic training in the civilian
workforce after aiding wounded military men and women who are severely
injured in combat.
We must recognize military-trained EMT skills and education and
streamline the process so these honorable men and women can return
quickly to work here at home.
We also need to recognize that training and education of these EMTs
and the education that they receive in the military is important, and
we must streamline the civilian certification process so these
honorable men and women can return to work even faster.
I'm a pilot in the military, and I still continue as an Air National
Guard pilot. One of the things that really stood out to me was how I
went through training with the military and came out and very quickly
was able to receive all of the civilian equivalent certifications from
what I got in the military.
Now, that really stands out to me as how we, both in the Federal
Government and in the State, ought to consider doing business and
recognize the skill that these military folks are trained with.
This bill is a commonsense way to help our veterans as they
transition back to civilian life. By supporting States to make the
process more efficient, veterans with military EMT training will more
quickly become certified civilian EMTs. In doing so, they will not have
to start over at square one in their training, and they can be ready to
go.
I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense bill.
Mrs. CAPPS. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I also wish to thank my
colleague, Mr. Kinzinger, for his leadership and his experience in the
military, which led him to be very interested in this topic as well.
The Veteran Emergency Medical Technician Support Act is a small but
very important step toward helping our military medics transition to
civilian EMT service, and it is a bipartisan measure. It fills a need
both in the veterans' community and also in our health care
communities.
I urge full support for this bill, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, as a veteran I appreciate the efforts of Mr.
Kinzinger and Mrs. Capps and others in this commonsense and very
bipartisan bill to support our veterans and provide for this need in
the emergency medical technician area.
I urge support for the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, each of us is deeply indebted to the members
of our military for their patriotism and for all they do to protect our
country and its national interests.
We know that our returning vets have unique skills and experiences
that make them highly-qualified for jobs in the health care and
[[Page H6144]]
other sectors. However, the unfortunate reality is that our veterans
experience unemployment rates well above the national average.
Congresswoman Capps and Congressman Kinzinger have introduced common-
sense legislation--H.R. 4124--to advance our shared goals of getting
our veterans back to work and addressing areas of shortage in health
professions. Congresswoman Capps has also authored legislation--H.R.
3884, the Emergency Medic Transition Act of 2012--that similarly seeks
to help armed services personnel transition from military to civilian
jobs in a timely fashion.
H.R. 4124 authorizes a demonstration grant program to states to
support planning efforts to streamline their certification and
licensure requirements for emergency medical technicians. As
Congresswoman Capps has noted, I think there is a role for partnerships
between public and private organizations within the States--such as
area health education centers--in the implementation of this program.
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4124, and I commend
Congresswoman Capps and Congressman Kinzinger for their work on this
legislation.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4124, the Veteran Emergency Medical
Technician Support Act of 2012, provides two important benefits. It
addresses the shortages of emergency medical technicians (EMT) and it
helps get our veterans back to work.
Military medics receive some of the best medical and emergency
training available while they serve our country.
Yet, not all military medical training satisfies civilian EMT
licensing and certification requirements. As a result, our returning
veterans are unnecessarily prevented from working as an EMT when they
re-enter civilian life.
This bill will examine ways that states with a shortage of EMTs can
streamline requirements so that military medics do not have to
duplicate the education and training they received on the battlefield.
Our vets will be put back to work, and critical workforce shortages in
emergency care can be filled to meet public health needs.
I proudly support this bill and urge my colleagues to support it. I
yield the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4124, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________