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Committee approves EMS licensure compact to align Arkansas with neighboring states
Summary
The committee voted to pass legislation joining the multistate Emergency Medical Services (EMS) licensure compact; supporters said enactment would let Arkansas EMS personnel operate across borders and aid emergency response in border regions.
The Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee approved a bill to adopt the EMS licensure compact after testimony from Dr. Brandon Morchetti, an emergency medicine and EMS physician who serves as medical director for about 2,000 licensed EMS professionals in the state.
Representative Lee Johnson (District 47) introduced the measure and asked Dr. Morchetti to explain the compact. Morchetti told the committee the compact has been enacted in 24 states and that all six of Arkansas’ bordering states participate; Arkansas’ absence from the agreement isolates the state and, he said, “has been a threat to our public safety, emergency preparedness, and emergency response.” He said the compact would let licensed paramedics and EMTs from other compact states operate in Arkansas during routine cross‑border calls and in emergencies, and would make Arkansas “a good neighbor” to border states.
Committee members asked how Arkansas would be represented on the compact’s interstate commission and who would handle compliance. Morchetti said a member state receives a seat on the commission, typically filled by the state EMS section chief and appointed by the governor; each state has equal voting rights on the commission. He said the compact language provides for state presence for compliance matters and delegates rulemaking authority to the agreed compact commission with administrative oversight through the legislature and the state licensing authority.
No public witnesses opposed the bill. Following brief committee discussion, Representative Johnson closed for the bill, a motion to pass was made and seconded, and the committee approved it by voice vote.
Why it matters: Supporters said joining the compact would facilitate mutual aid across state lines, especially in border areas, reduce administrative friction when EMS personnel cross state lines, and enhance emergency preparedness. The committee record shows the bill passed out of committee; specific fiscal or implementation details were not discussed in the testimony on file.
