Congress·In Committee·H.R. 7739

Overtime Pay Rules for Rural EMTs and Paramedics

Rural Emergency Response Support Act

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

This bill, introduced by Rep. Maloy, would change federal labor laws so that local governments and private companies in rural areas do not have to pay standard overtime to EMTs and paramedics.
The rule would apply to any local government area with fewer than 100,000 residents. It also covers private ambulance companies that have contracts to serve those specific rural communities.
Supporters believe this will help small towns keep their emergency services open by lowering labor costs. Many rural areas face budget shortages and struggle to staff ambulances 24 hours a day under current pay rules.
For workers, this means EMTs and paramedics in smaller towns could lose the guarantee of 'time-and-a-half' pay for working long hours. This could make it harder for rural areas to recruit and keep medical staff who might move to bigger cities for better pay.

2 milestones2 actions

Feb 26, 2026House

Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

Feb 26, 2026

Introduced in House

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Rural Emergency Response Support Act

Bill NumberHR 7739

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionReferred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

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R: 3

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

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