Sec. 3. Recognition of HHS as primary Federal agency for emergency medical services and trauma care
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Title XXVIII of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300hh et seq. ) is amended by adding at the end the following: The Department of Health and Human Services shall serve as the primary Federal agency with responsibility for programs and activities relating to emergency medical services and trauma care. There is established within the Department of Health and Human Services an Office of Emergency Medical Services and Trauma, also to be known as the Office of EMS and Trauma .
The Office of EMS and Trauma shall be headed by a director appointed by the Secretary (referred to in this section as the Director ). The Office of EMS and Trauma shall have— the responsibilities delegated to the Office of EMS and Trauma pursuant to paragraph (3); and such responsibilities and authorities as may be delegated or transferred to the Office of EMS and Trauma pursuant to subparagraph (B). In addition to the responsibilities and authorities specified in subparagraph (A), the Secretary may delegate or transfer to the Office of EMS and Trauma any other responsibility or authority of the Department of Health and Human Services relating to emergency medical services and trauma care (except that the Secretary may not delegate or transfer such responsibilities or authorities that are otherwise granted to a specific agency within the Department in statute), including such services and care relating to— the full continuum of emergency medical services, including field EMS and trauma and hospital emergency medical care; and improving the quality, innovation, or cost effectiveness of emergency medical services.
The Secretary shall locate the Office of EMS and Trauma within the organizational structure of the Department of Health and Human Services in a manner that achieves each of the following: Recognition of the importance and unique life-saving services associated with field EMS, trauma care, and hospital emergency care as a significant Federal priority. Integration of the essential services described in clause
(i)with the larger health care system and within the disaster preparedness system, including through regionalization of such services and by enhancing daily readiness capabilities to ensure adequate disaster readiness capabilities, consistent with the National Health Security Strategy. Consolidation, co-location, and cost efficiencies in administering programs and activities related to field EMS, trauma care, and hospital emergency medical care. Establishment of a Federal focal point for leadership and improved coordination, support, and oversight of field EMS, trauma care, and hospital emergency medical care. Sufficient level and stature such that— such Office is able to fulfill its role, responsibilities, and authorities; and the Director of such Office reports directly to the Secretary or an official within the Department who reports directly to the Secretary. Establishment of a visible and identifiable point of contact with which the public; EMS agencies and practitioners; State and local government agencies; EMS educational institutions; EMS, trauma, and hospital emergency care professional associations; and all other parties may interact. The Secretary shall, at a minimum, delegate responsibility to the Office of EMS and Trauma to carry out section 330J and parts A, B, C, D, H, and I (except subsection (c)(1) of section 1294) of title XII. The Secretary, acting through the Director, and in consultation with the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response and the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, shall develop and implement a cohesive national EMS strategy to strengthen the development of the full continuum of EMS at the Federal, State, and local levels. In establishing such a strategy, the Secretary shall— solicit and consider the recommendations of the National Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council as well as relevant stakeholders; consult and collaborate with the Federal Interagency Committee on Emergency Medical Services to ensure consistency of such national EMS strategy within the larger Federal strategy regarding all of emergency medical services and national preparedness and response; address issues related to EMS patient and practitioner safety, standardization of EMS practitioner licensing and credentialing, field EMS quality and medical oversight, regionalization of field EMS and trauma and emergency care services, availability of field EMS and trauma care and emergency medical services throughout the Nation, and integration of field EMS practitioners into the broader health care system, including— promotion of the adoption by States of the education standards identified in the Emergency Medical Services Education Agenda for the Future: A Systems Approach and any revisions thereto, including the standardization of licensing and credentialing of field EMS practitioners and standards of care, based on best practices and evidence-based medicine, including by— the identification of differences in the levels of care, scope of practice, and licensure and credentialing requirements among the States; and the adoption by the States of national standards for such levels of care, scope of practice and licensure and credentialing requirements; promotion of a culture of safety, including— the adoption of an anonymous error reporting system designed to identify systemic problems in field EMS patient and practitioner safety and ensure a single means of collecting and reporting relevant error data by field EMS agencies and States; the establishment of field EMS patient and practitioner safety goals and the specific means to improve field EMS practitioner and patient safety to achieve such goals; and the adoption of more uniform national ambulance vehicle safety and manufacturing standards as developed by the National Fire Protection Administration or coordinated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; the integration and utilization of field EMS practitioners as part of the larger health care system, including— the potential utilization of field EMS practitioners for the provision of care to patients with nonemergent medical conditions, such as through mobile integrated health care services or community paramedicine; and strategies to implement the recommendations provided by the National Health Care Workforce Commission, pursuant to section 5101(d)(2) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ( 42 U.S.C. 294q(d)(2) ); and such other issues as the Secretary considers appropriate; incorporate into such strategy the preparedness and response objectives identified by the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response in order— to ensure the capability and capacity of the full spectrum of EMS to respond to terrorist attacks, disasters, catastrophic events, and mass casualty events; and to coordinate with the Secretary of Homeland Security accordingly; complete the development of such strategy not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act; communicate such strategy to the relevant congressional committees of jurisdiction; implement such strategy, to the extent practicable, not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of the Field EMS Innovation Act ; and update such strategy not less than every 3 years. In this section, the terms field EMS , emergency medical services , and medical oversight have the meaning given such terms in section 1291. .
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Sec. 3
Recognition of HHS as primary Federal agency for emergency medical services and trauma care
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