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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
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.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Emergency
Medical Services Certification Program Act.
Section 2. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Applicant." A Commonwealth resident who has submitted an
application for a reimbursement payment under the program.
"Bureau." The Bureau of Emergency Medical Services within
the department.
"Department." The Department of Health of the Commonwealth.
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"Program." The Emergency Medical Services Certification
Program established under section 3.
Section 3. Emergency Medical Services Certification Program.
(a) Establishment.--The Emergency Medical Services
Certification Program is established in the bureau as a
Statewide program.
(b) Purpose of program.--The program shall receive
applications and award reimbursement payments to applicants who
successfully attain any of the following certifications after
the effective date of this subsection:
(1) Emergency medical responder.
(2) Emergency medical technician.
(3) Advanced emergency medical technician.
(4) Paramedic.
(c) Application.--The bureau shall develop an application
for an applicant to apply for a reimbursement payment within 30
days of the applicant successfully completing a certification
listed in subsection (b). The application shall be made
available and posted on the department's publicly accessible
Internet website and shall be in a form that may be completed
electronically or through the United States mail.
(d) Guidelines.--The bureau shall establish guidelines that
are consistent with the provisions of this section within 30
days of the effective date of this subsection. The guidelines
shall be:
(1) Transmitted as a notice to the Legislative Reference
Bureau for publication in the next available issue of the
Pennsylvania Bulletin.
(2) Posted on the bureau's publicly accessible Internet
website.
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(e) Program requirements.--An applicant may be eligible for
a reimbursement payment under this section provided that the
applicant submits the following to the department:
(1) Within 30 days of completion, proof of successful
emergency medical services certification.
(2) A copy of the invoice, receipt or proof of payment
to an emergency medical services education institution
located in this Commonwealth.
(3) The application form developed under subsection (c).
(f) Reimbursement limit.--The bureau may award a
reimbursement payment to an applicant not to exceed the
applicant's cost of certification.
(g) Award.--The bureau shall award reimbursement payments
under this section no later than two months after the receipt of
a completed application. The bureau shall ensure that
reimbursement payments are made available to all geographic
areas of this Commonwealth.
(h) Ineligibility.--An applicant who has already received a
reimbursement payment for certification under this section shall
be ineligible to participate in the program again.
(i) Residency requirement and effect of noncompliance.--The
applicant agrees to the following as conditions of acceptance of
a reimbursement payment:
(1) The applicant must maintain residency in this
Commonwealth for a period of two years after the date of the
individual's certification.
(2) The applicant has a duty to notify the department of
a change of the individual's residency during the two-year
period.
(3) If the applicant fails to do so, the applicant will
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reimburse the department for the amount of the payment upon
request of the department.
(j) Enforcement.--The department shall enforce this section,
including bringing an action in an appropriate court to obtain
reimbursement from an applicant that fails to comply with the
conditions specified in subsection (i).
Section 4. Appropriation.
The sum of $3,000,000 is appropriated from the General Fund
to the department for the purpose of making payments under this
act.
Section 5. Expiration.
This act shall expire on the date that the money allocated to
the bureau under section 4 is fully expended. Within 60 days of
that date, the department shall transmit notice of that date to
the Legislative Reference Bureau for publication in the next
available issue of the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
Section 6. Effective date.
This act shall take effect July 1, 2025, or immediately,
whichever is later.
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