Rural Emergency Response Support Act

House Bill

H.R. 7739

119th Congress

Rural Emergency Response Support Act

In Committee

Introduced:Feb 26, 2026

Primary Sponsor

Celeste Maloy

R - UT

Cosponsors

0

Quick Stats

Summary

This bill would allow rural emergency medical service employers to avoid paying overtime wages to EMTs and paramedics, creating an exception to standard federal labor protections. Currently, the Fair Labor Standards Act requires most employers to pay time-and-a-half for hours worked beyond 40 per week, but this legislation would exempt rural EMS providers from that requirement. The change aims to reduce staffing costs for rural ambulance services facing financial pressures.

Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

Introduced2/26/2026

StatusReferred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

ChamberHouse

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Vote Prediction

Rural Emergency Response Support Act

This bill would allow rural emergency medical service employers to avoid paying overtime wages to EMTs and paramedics, creating an exception to standard federal labor protections. Currently, the Fair Labor Standards Act requires most employers to pay time-and-

Community Breakdown

Pass

0%

Fail

0%

0 predictions

This bill would allow rural emergency medical service employers to avoid paying overtime wages to EMTs and paramedics, creating an exception to standard federal labor protections. Currently, the Fair Labor Standards Act requires most employers to pay time-and-a-half for hours worked beyond 40 per week, but this legislation would exempt rural EMS providers from that requirement. The change aims to reduce staffing costs for rural ambulance services facing financial pressures.

Bill Number: 7739
Introduced: 2/26/2026
Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

Data from Congress.gov

AI-generated summary

Fact Sheet

Title: Rural Emergency Response Support Act
Bill Number: 7739
Sponsor: No sponsor
Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Introduced: 2/26/2026
Summary: This bill would allow rural emergency medical service employers to avoid paying overtime wages to EMTs and paramedics, creating an exception to standard federal labor protections. Currently, the Fair Labor Standards Act requires most employers to pay time-and-a-half for hours worked beyond 40 per we

Data from Congress.gov

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This bill would allow rural emergency medical service employers to avoid paying overtime wages to EMTs and paramedics, creating an exception to standard federal labor protections. Currently, the Fair Labor Standards Act requires most employers to pay time-and-a-half for hours worked beyond 40 per week, but this legislation would exempt rural EMS providers from that requirement. The change aims to reduce staffing costs for rural ambulance services facing financial pressures.

Last updated: 2/27/2026

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Removes the requirement for rural EMS employers to pay overtime compensation to emergency medical technicians and paramedics
Creates a financial advantage for rural ambulance services and fire departments struggling with tight budgets and staffing shortages
Could result in reduced earnings for EMTs and paramedics working in rural areas who frequently work overtime shifts
May make rural EMS positions less attractive compared to urban areas where overtime pay would still be required
Raises questions about fair compensation for first responders who often work long hours in demanding, high-stress conditions

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

This bill would directly affect EMTs and paramedics working in rural communities, potentially reducing their take-home pay when working extended shifts. Rural EMS agencies would see reduced labor costs, which could help financially struggling services stay operational but might also make it harder to recruit and retain qualified emergency responders. Rural residents depending on emergency medical services could experience staffing challenges if workers migrate to urban areas with better compensation.

Policy Areas

No policy areas assigned yet.

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

7739, 119th Congress (2026). "Rural Emergency Response Support Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/119-hr-7739

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