SB 529 — An Act establishing the Emergency Medical Services Certification Program; imposing duties on the Bureau of Emergency Medical Services within the Department of Health; providing for funding; and making an appropriation.

PRINTER'S NO.   502

                    THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                        SENATE BILL
                        No. 529
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY BROOKS, MASTRIANO, PENNYCUICK, DUSH, COSTA,
        KEARNEY, HUTCHINSON, FONTANA, BARTOLOTTA, FARRY, TARTAGLIONE,
        SANTARSIERO AND COMITTA, MARCH 26, 2025

     REFERRED TO VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS,
        MARCH 26, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Establishing the Emergency Medical Services Certification
 2      Program; imposing duties on the Bureau of Emergency Medical
 3      Services within the Department of Health; providing for
 4      funding; and making an appropriation.
 5      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 6   hereby enacts as follows:
 7   Section 1.   Short title.
 8      This act shall be known and may be cited as the Emergency
 9   Medical Services Certification Program Act.
10   Section 2.   Definitions.
11      The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
12   have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
13   context clearly indicates otherwise:
14      "Applicant."    A Commonwealth resident who has submitted an
15   application for a reimbursement payment under the program.
16      "Bureau."   The Bureau of Emergency Medical Services within
17   the department.
18      "Department."   The Department of Health of the Commonwealth.
 1      "Program."     The Emergency Medical Services Certification
 2   Program established under section 3.
 3   Section 3.     Emergency Medical Services Certification Program.
 4      (a)   Establishment.--The Emergency Medical Services
 5   Certification Program is established in the bureau as a
 6   Statewide program.
 7      (b)   Purpose of program.--The program shall receive
 8   applications and award reimbursement payments to applicants who
 9   successfully attain any of the following certifications after
10   the effective date of this subsection:
11            (1)   Emergency medical responder.
12            (2)   Emergency medical technician.
13            (3)   Advanced emergency medical technician.
14            (4)   Paramedic.
15      (c)   Application.--The bureau shall develop an application
16   for an applicant to apply for a reimbursement payment within 30
17   days of the applicant successfully completing a certification
18   listed in subsection (b). The application shall be made
19   available and posted on the department's publicly accessible
20   Internet website and shall be in a form that may be completed
21   electronically or through the United States mail.
22      (d)   Guidelines.--The bureau shall establish guidelines that
23   are consistent with the provisions of this section within 30
24   days of the effective date of this subsection. The guidelines
25   shall be:
26            (1)   Transmitted as a notice to the Legislative Reference
27      Bureau for publication in the next available issue of the
28      Pennsylvania Bulletin.
29            (2)   Posted on the bureau's publicly accessible Internet
30      website.

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 1      (e)   Program requirements.--An applicant may be eligible for
 2   a reimbursement payment under this section provided that the
 3   applicant submits the following to the department:
 4            (1)   Within 30 days of completion, proof of successful
 5      emergency medical services certification.
 6            (2)   A copy of the invoice, receipt or proof of payment
 7      to an emergency medical services education institution
 8      located in this Commonwealth.
 9            (3)   The application form developed under subsection (c).
10      (f)   Reimbursement limit.--The bureau may award a
11   reimbursement payment to an applicant not to exceed the
12   applicant's cost of certification.
13      (g)   Award.--The bureau shall award reimbursement payments
14   under this section no later than two months after the receipt of
15   a completed application. The bureau shall ensure that
16   reimbursement payments are made available to all geographic
17   areas of this Commonwealth.
18      (h)   Ineligibility.--An applicant who has already received a
19   reimbursement payment for certification under this section shall
20   be ineligible to participate in the program again.
21      (i)   Residency requirement and effect of noncompliance.--The
22   applicant agrees to the following as conditions of acceptance of
23   a reimbursement payment:
24            (1)   The applicant must maintain residency in this
25      Commonwealth for a period of two years after the date of the
26      individual's certification.
27            (2)   The applicant has a duty to notify the department of
28      a change of the individual's residency during the two-year
29      period.
30            (3)   If the applicant fails to do so, the applicant will

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 1      reimburse the department for the amount of the payment upon
 2      request of the department.
 3      (j)   Enforcement.--The department shall enforce this section,
 4   including bringing an action in an appropriate court to obtain
 5   reimbursement from an applicant that fails to comply with the
 6   conditions specified in subsection (i).
 7   Section 4.   Appropriation.
 8      The sum of $3,000,000 is appropriated from the General Fund
 9   to the department for the purpose of making payments under this
10   act.
11   Section 5.   Expiration.
12      This act shall expire on the date that the money allocated to
13   the bureau under section 4 is fully expended. Within 60 days of
14   that date, the department shall transmit notice of that date to
15   the Legislative Reference Bureau for publication in the next
16   available issue of the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
17   Section 6.   Effective date.
18      This act shall take effect July 1, 2025, or immediately,
19   whichever is later.




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