Community Paramedicine Act of 2025
HB4011, titled the Community Paramedicine Act of 2025, would amend the Public Health Service Act to create a new federal grant program for community paramedicine services in rural areas. The bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the Health Resources and Services Administration, to award grants to eligible public and nonprofit entities to support programs that use specially trained paramedics to provide mobile-integrated health care, address health problems, reduce unnecessary use of emergency resources, and improve access to primary care for underserved populations.
The grants could be used for hiring and retaining personnel, paying for medical oversight, purchasing equipment and vehicles, covering certification and recertification costs, and conducting public outreach and education. The bill sets eligibility rules, allows joint applications and subgrants, caps awards at $750,000 for individual applicants and $1.5 million for joint applicants, limits grants to five years, and restricts administrative spending. It also requires an advisory board, reporting by grantees, and a 15 percent funding reservation for projects serving Tribal communities, with notice to Tribal emergency management leaders.
The bill would expand section 330A of the Public Health Service Act by adding community paramedicine services as an authorized grant purpose and by conforming the section heading and related references. In practical terms, it would create a new federal funding stream for rural emergency medical services agencies, states, tribes, counties, municipalities, and EMS-related organizations, while excluding for-profit applicants. It would also establish federal administrative requirements for application review, peer consultation, reporting, and allocation priorities, including a Tribal set-aside.
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the bill appears to be framed positively as a rural health access and emergency response support measure. Its bipartisan introduction by Representatives Cleaver and Harshbarger suggests cross-party interest in improving rural EMS capacity and community-based care. No opposition is documented in the available record, so the overall sentiment appears supportive or at least noncontroversial at this stage.
The main policy questions likely concern how the grant program would be administered, which entities should qualify, and how funds should be distributed between general rural applicants and Tribal communities. Potential points of contention include the exclusion of for-profit entities, the size and duration of awards, the administrative cost limits, and the requirement for an advisory board and reporting obligations. The 15 percent reservation for Tribal applicants may also draw attention from stakeholders focused on equitable rural funding distribution.