HARRISBURG – This week, the Pennsylvania Senate voted in favor of legislation sponsored by Sen. Pat Stefano (R-32) to help facilitate the day-to-day movement of EMS personnel across state lines in the performance of their duties.
Senate Bill 861 would have Pennsylvania join the EMS Compact, alongside 21 other states.
“Pennsylvania is having an exceedingly difficult time in recruiting and retaining licensed EMS providers as put forth in the SR 6 Report of 2018,” said Sen. Stefano, the Chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee. “The EMS Compact would help enhance our Emergency Medical Services system by providing qualified EMS personnel a ‘privilege to practice’ in participating states during times of need.”
Under the EMS Compact:
*EMS personnel would need to be licensed in good standing in a home state as an EMT, Advanced EMT, a Paramedic, or a level in between EMT and Paramedic — be at least 18 years of age — and practice under the supervision of a physician.
*Qualified EMS Personnel in Compact states would be extended a “Privilege-to-Practice” in other compact states on a short-term, intermittent basis.
*The law would be governed by Commissioners appointed to the “Interstate Commission for EMS Personnel Practice” by member states. Each state has one seat on the Commission and one vote on each matter brought before the body.
“The Compact is a win-win-win in terms of Pennsylvania being able to quickly import or export EMS personnel when needed,” said Stefano. “Patients win by having access to more care when emergencies arise. EMS personnel win by having an easier time crossing state lines. Our Bureau of EMS wins by gaining access to a database that helps protect the Commonwealth from personnel denied licenses or disciplined by member states. Furthermore, military families would have a means to move more easily from state to state and provide a timely pathway for EMS licensure.”
As the bill received unanimous support in the Senate, it now advances to the House of Representatives for further consideration.
Click HERE for a link to Senator Stefano’s remarks on the Senate Floor.
CONTACT: Nate Silcox, nsilcox@pasen.gov or 717-787-7175