Collins Celebrates Passage of Her Bipartisan SIREN Reauthorization Act
The bill she co-authored with Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins applauded the passage of a bill she authored with Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), the bipartisan Supporting and Improving Rural EMS Needs (SIREN) Reauthorization Act, by the House of Representatives, sending the legislation to President Biden’s desk for signature. Once signed, the legislation will extend funding for SIREN Act grants to rural fire and EMS agencies nationwide. The funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) supports rural EMS agencies in training and recruiting staff, conducting certification courses, and purchasing equipment, including naloxone to address the opioid overdose epidemic.
“It is vital that Americans who live in rural parts of Maine and across the country have access to lifesaving emergency medical services, which is why I have long advocated for funding to support access to quality rural health care,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan legislation would help to alleviate staffing shortages, upgrade training and equipment, and ultimately boost response times when seconds count. This program has made a real difference for recruiting and retaining EMS personnel in Maine’s rural communities.”
The bipartisan bill was initially signed into law in 2018 as part of the Farm Bill. Since then, Senators Collins and Durbin have led the appropriations effort to grow the program from $5 million annually to $11.5 million this year, resulting in a total of $40 million in grants nationwide to 42 states.
A decline in primary care and hospital service availability, workforce shortages exacerbated by the pandemic, great distances between health care facilities, and low insurance reimbursement for transport and emergency treatment have all strained rural EMS agencies. At the same time, EMS agencies today are tasked with ever-greater responsibilities— preparing for natural and manmade disasters and bioterror threats, supporting the chronic and emergency care needs of an aging population, and responding on the front lines of the opioid epidemic. These first responders are often the only health care providers in their area and face difficulty in personnel recruitment and retention, and securing expensive equipment.
The SIREN Reauthorization Act is endorsed by the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, International Association of Fire Fighters, International Association of Fire Chiefs, National Rural Health Association, National Volunteer Fire Council, and National Fire Protection Association.
The complete text of the legislation can be read here.
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