Today, Congresswoman Celeste Maloy (UT-02) and Senator John Curtis (UT) introduced the Rural Emergency Response Support Act, legislation that would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to allow rural emergency medical services employees to work 80 hours over a 14-day period, rather than the current 40-hour, 7-day limit. The legislation is also co-sponsored by Utah Representatives Blake Moore (UT-01), Mike Kennedy (UT-03), and Burgess Owens (UT-04).
Under current federal law, most urban and suburban EMS agencies operate under police or fire departments and already benefit from an 80-hour/14-day scheduling exemption. Rural counties, which typically run independent third-service EMS agencies outside of police or fire departments, are not eligible for the same exemption. The Rural Emergency Response Act would close that gap.
“Rural communities deserve the same quality emergency care as anyone else, and right now federal law is making that harder to deliver,” said Congresswoman Maloy. “This is a straightforward fix that gives rural EMS agencies the flexibility they need to keep their doors open around the clock and retain the qualified personnel their communities depend on.”
“Outdated federal labor rules are making it harder for rural EMS providers to serve their communities,” said Senator Curtis. “Our commonsense fix gives rural jurisdictions the flexibility they need to staff emergency services effectively, ensuring first responders can deliver lifesaving care without unnecessary federal barriers.”
The legislation was introduced at the request of Sheriff Nathan Curtis and EMS Director Mike Willits of Sevier County, Utah, who identified the scheduling disparity as a barrier to maintaining 24/7 coverage in their community.
“Rural EMS in Utah and other states will benefit greatly with this bill,” said Sheriff Nathan Curtis of Sevier County. “As a rural, and sometimes frontier Emergency Medical Services provider, we often struggle to hire qualified EMTs and paramedics to fully staff our needs. The Rural Emergency Response Act will give rural EMS agencies a schedule that is flexible and will allow the coverage our citizens deserve and expect.”
The bill also has the support of the Utah Department of Public Safety and the Utah Bureau of Emergency Medical Services.
Beau Mason, Commissioner of the Utah Department of Public Safety, added: “This bill addresses a critical disparity in federal labor law that currently hinders the operational efficiency of our rural EMS providers. The Utah EMS Bureau is committed to ensuring that every Utahn, regardless of their ZIP code, has access to high-quality emergency care. This common-sense policy change removes an outdated regulatory barrier and provides our rural heroes with the same workforce standards enjoyed by their urban counterparts.”
