[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 1]
[House]
[Pages 1174-1175]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        VETERAN EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN SUPPORT ACT OF 2013

  Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 235) 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.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 235

       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 2013''.

     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 2014, there is authorized to be appropriated to 
     carry out this section $1,000,000 for the period of fiscal 
     years 2014 through 2018.''.
       (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 
Kentucky (Mr. Whitfield) and the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Ben Ray 
Lujan) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky.


                             General Leave

  Mr. WHITFIELD. 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 the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Kentucky?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise in strong support and urge my colleagues to vote for H.R. 235, 
the Veteran Emergency Medical Technician Support Act of 2013.
  At this time I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Kinzinger), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, who wrote 
this important legislation.
  Mr. KINZINGER of Illinois. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your hard 
work in bringing this forward. I just want to thank all my colleagues 
on both sides of the aisle for supporting this bill.
  Unemployment rates continue to be far too high among our veterans who 
are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. These returning men and women 
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 men and women who were severely injured 
in combat. We must recognize military-trained EMT skills and education 
and streamline the process so these honorable men and women can quickly 
return to work here at home.
  I'm a pilot in the Air National Guard. One of the things that really 
brought this to my mind is, as a pilot, I went through my pilot 
training and was able to take an equivalency test in which I was 
granted, basically, the civilian equivalent of what I learned in the 
military. And you realize those are very obviously transferable skills. 
And to be able to bring that into the civilian workforce has done great 
for airlines and commercial piloting and everything, frankly, related 
to aviation in the civilian world.

[[Page 1175]]

  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, returning veterans 
will not have to start over at square one in their training and can 
enter the civilian workforce much sooner.
  One other point to make in this is that in rural areas--and I 
represent a lot of rural areas in Illinois--there is a shortage of 
emergency medical technicians in small towns. But there's not a 
shortage of folks coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan--veterans in 
these small communities. To be able to do this small step in ensuring 
that the rural areas, the rural municipalities and our veterans are 
matched with jobs where there is need is, I think, a very positive step 
in the right direction.
  I would urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this 
great piece of legislation.
  Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such 
time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 235, the Veteran Emergency 
Medical Technician Support Act of 2013. This bill authorizes a 
demonstration grant program for States that are experiencing emergency 
medical technician shortages so that States, in turn, can better assist 
returning veterans and their transition to civilian employment. States 
receiving grant funding under this program would develop and implement 
plans to streamline training and educational requirements for returning 
vets. Specifically, States would determine the extent to which civilian 
education and training requirements are equivalent to those for 
previous military EMT work. And States would identify ways for 
qualified military EMTs to forego duplicative requirements.
  H.R. 235 was reported by the Energy and Commerce Committee with broad 
bipartisan support. And, Mr. Speaker, I think it's also worth noting 
that H.R. 235 is essentially the same as legislation that passed the 
House on a voice vote in the last Congress. I commend the sponsors of 
the bill, Congressman Kinzinger and Congresswoman Capps, for their 
leadership on this important issue. H.R. 235 is a commonsense 
bipartisan measure. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this 
bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and the majority for working with 
us on this bill, would urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I want to thank once again Mr. Kinzinger of Illinois and Mrs. Capps 
of California for this commonsense legislation. When you think about 
young men and women serving in the military and Iraq and Afghanistan 
and responding to a wide array of emergencies that they respond to and 
having visited the training programs that they have, we know that they 
are well trained. And yet some State licensing laws for EMTs vary. Many 
States do not recognize combat medics and other veterans' 
qualifications as applicable to the licensing requirement of the 
civilian health care system. Some States make exceptions for former 
military medics and allow them reciprocity and a chance to sit for the 
licensing exam without going through the usual training. But, as I 
said, many States do not.
  This legislation simply helps streamline State requirements and make 
allowances for returning veterans to enter the EMT workforce without 
unnecessary duplication of their training. And we all know the great 
demand for emergency technicians in our society today.

                              {time}  1440

  This bill also provides for an annual report to Congress. It complies 
with CutGo because funding of the $1 million for the program is offset 
with funds from area health education centers of the Public Health 
Service Act.
  So, I am pleased to support this legislation and urge my colleagues 
to vote in favor of H.R. 235. Once again, I thank the gentleman from 
Illinois and all of those on the committee who brought this legislation 
to the floor.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 235, the Veteran 
Emergency Medical Technician Support Act of 2013. Congresswoman Capps 
and Congressman Kinzinger have introduced this commonsense legislation 
to advance our shared goals of getting our veterans back to work and 
addressing areas of shortage in health professions.
  H.R. 235 is essentially the same as legislation the House passed on a 
voice vote in the 112th Congress. I know we are all hopeful that this 
time around the Senate will act quickly to consider and pass this bill.
  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 other 
sectors. However, the unfortunate reality is that our veterans 
experience unemployment rates well above the national average.
  H.R. 235 authorizes a demonstration grant program for states to 
support planning efforts to streamline their certification and 
licensure requirements for returning vets with emergency medical 
training. While states would take the lead in carrying out this 
program, I believe there would be an important role for partnerships 
between public and private organizations within the states--such as 
area health education centers--in its implementation.
  I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 235, and I commend the sponsors 
of this bill for their work on this legislation.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Whitfield) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 235.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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