HR 3791119th CongressIn Committee

EMS Counts Act

Introduced: Jun 5, 2025

Labor & Employment

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The EMS Counts Act would require the Secretary of Labor to revise the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system so that the federal government counts emergency medical services (EMS) workers more accurately. A key feature is to ensure dual-role personnel—specifically firefighter/EMTs and firefighter/paramedics—are included in the EMS counts. The bill also mandates a dated set of actions: within 120 days, revise the broad description for the 33-2011 Firefighters occupation to include Firefighters, Firefighter/EMTs, Firefighter/Paramedics, and Firefighters, All Other; and within 270 days, the Secretary must report to Congress on (1) past actions (2015) to separately count EMTs and paramedics under 29-2040, and (2) the implementation of the section 3 revisions. The intended outcome is more accurate workforce data to inform preparedness, disaster response planning, and related policy.

Key Points

1The act labels itself as the EMS Counts Act and designates the Secretary of Labor as the lead for revising how EMS workers are counted in the SOC system.
2It requires the broad description under the 33-2011 Firefighters occupation to specifically include: Firefighters; Firefighter/EMTs; Firefighter/Paramedics; and Firefighters, All Other.
3It targets inclusion of dual-role firefighter/EMTs and firefighter/paramedics in EMS workforce counts, addressing undercount issues identified in the findings.
4It mandates a congressional report within 270 days detailing: (a) 2015 actions to separately account for EMTs and paramedics within the 29-2040 category, and (b) the implementation of the section 3 revisions.
5The bill emphasizes that accurate EMS workforce data are essential for planning, disaster preparedness, public health responses, and security against acts of terrorism.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- EMS practitioners and agencies (paramedics, EMTs, dual-role firefighter/EMTs, firefighter/paramedics, volunteers): benefits from more precise workforce counts for staffing, funding, and policy decisions.Secondary group/area affected- Federal data programs and policymakers (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Homeland Security, public health agencies): improved data accuracy could influence funding formulas, resource allocation, and disaster readiness planning.Additional impacts- Fire departments and public safety systems with dual-role staff may experience changes in how their personnel are categorized in official statistics, which could affect reporting practices and workforce analytics.- Potential budgetary or administrative costs to the Department of Labor for implementing revised classifications and producing mandated reports, as well as downstream impacts on data users who rely on SOC data for research and policy.SOC (Standard Occupational Classification): a system used by U.S. federal agencies to classify workers by occupation for data collection and analysis.33-2011 Firefighters: a broad SOC category that, under this bill, would be revised to explicitly include the specified EMS-related firefighter roles.29-2040 EMTs and Paramedics: an SOC category used for counting EMS technicians and paramedics; the bill seeks to separately account EMTs and paramedics within this or related frameworks.

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