As EMS companies struggle in PA, three bills offer counties funding flexibility
As Pennsylvania struggles to recruit first responders and fund emergency services, a trio of bills would give counties more flexibility to spend tax money on EMS systems.
While two are optional and work on the local level, one bill would recreate a state licensing exam instead of relying on a federal version.
House Bill 68, introduced by Rep. Brad Roae, R-Meadville, would allow counties to redirect a $5 vehicle fee to fund EMS. Current law allows the revenue to go toward maintenance of county roads bridges.
“This legislation would allow counties to continue to do that or they could use the money to help support EMS,” Roae noted in a legislative memo. “Some counties have never enacted the $5 fee and they would not be required to do so. Counties would also be permitted to use some of the money for roads and bridges and the other part of it to support EMS.”
A similar proposal, House Bill 67, and also introduced by Roae, would allow counties to use money from a hotel tax to fund EMS instead of tourism promotion.
“EMS is in a crisis in Pennsylvania,” Roae said. “Each year there are fewer paramedics, fewer EMTs, fewer career ambulance services, fewer volunteer ambulance services, fewer ambulances in service available for calls, etc.”
The change is due to more pressing needs than local tourism funding.
“Tourism is not in a crisis and tourism promotion is not in a crisis,” Roae said.
He said counties could use all of their hotel tax revenue for tourism, if its a high priority in their area. Or, they could split the money in any percentage between tourism and EMS, or they could devote the entire amount to emergency services.
Roae’s other bill, House Bill 65, would replace the federal licensing exam for EMTs and paramedics with a state exam. Until 2013, Pennsylvania used a state exam before switching to a federal one.
He said students in the state have lower passing rates on the National Registry exam “because the scope of practice nationally is greater (than) what PA laws and regulations allow.”
“Some instructors are not teaching students to do things they cannot legally do in PA but there are still questions on the National Register exam on those skills,” Roae said.
Limiting an exam to what will be expected of Pennsylvania residents could make it easier to get more first responders in the workforce.
“Having test questions limited to what EMT’s, EMR’s and paramedics in PA are actually allowed to do should increase the exam passing rate and increase the number of emergency responders,” Roae said.
EMS officials have warned that the system across the commonwealth is on the brink of collapse, as The Center Square previously reported. Low pay and reimbursement rates have made it difficult to retain existing workers and hire new ones.
