Overview
Title
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to authorize the admission of nonimmigrant emergency medical technicians and paramedics.
ELI5 AI
H.R. 10007 wants to let foreign emergency helpers, like ambulance workers, come to work in the U.S. for a short time, making sure they are trained and safe, while making sure they don’t take jobs from American workers.
Summary AI
H.R. 10007, also known as the "Paramedic and Emergency Medical Technician Relief Act of 2024", proposes changes to the Immigration and Nationality Act to allow nonimmigrant emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics to work temporarily in the United States under a new H-1D visa category. The bill outlines specific qualifications that these foreign workers must meet, such as having relevant training, passing exams, and undergoing background checks. It also specifies the responsibilities of employers, like ensuring that hiring these nonimmigrants does not negatively impact wages or job opportunities for U.S. citizens, while capping nonimmigrant workers at 15% of an employer's EMT or paramedic workforce. The bill also sets a numerical limit of 2,500 H-1D visas per fiscal year and proposes to establish monitoring and reporting requirements to ensure compliance with the program's regulations.
Published
Keywords AI
Sources
Bill Statistics
Size
Language
Complexity
AnalysisAI
General Summary of the Bill
The proposed legislation, known as the "Paramedic and Emergency Medical Technician Relief Act of 2024," aims to modify the Immigration and Nationality Act to create a new visa category, H-1D, specifically for foreign emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics. This bill permits these professionals to temporarily work in the United States. Qualified candidates for the H-1D visa will need to meet specific educational and licensing standards, pass criminal and background checks, and work for employers who adhere to certain labor and economic conditions.
Significant Issues
Several concerns are associated with this bill. A key issue involves the provision that allows the Secretary of Homeland Security to adjust the number of visas or make exceptions based on ambiguous criteria like "extreme hardship" or "national interest," which could lead to inconsistent application. Additionally, the requirement for comprehensive background checks and biometric data raises privacy concerns.
The bill mandates that employers cannot hire more than 15 percent of their workforce through H-1D visas, a stipulation that might unduly affect smaller businesses. Moreover, the bill includes detailed reporting requirements, but it does not specify how issues such as fraud or compliance failures will be resolved, potentially leaving such problems unaddressed.
From an operational standpoint, there are potential costs and logistical challenges for implementation, including the coordination between different government agencies without clear oversight, which could result in inefficiencies. Finally, the complex legal language used in the bill might pose interpretation challenges to those without specialized legal knowledge.
Impact on the Public
Broadly, the introduction of the H-1D visa category could help address shortages of EMTs and paramedics, particularly in areas with high demand, potentially improving emergency medical response times and overall public health outcomes. However, the implementation of this bill might lead to increased administrative burdens on employers and government agencies tasked with oversight and compliance monitoring, which can have associated costs absorbed by taxpayers indirectly.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders
For EMTs and paramedics seeking to work in the U.S., this bill provides a formal pathway, which could enhance job opportunities and professional development in the U.S. healthcare market. Employers stand to benefit from a larger pool of qualified candidates, addressing workforce shortages. However, smaller organizations might find the 15 percent cap on H-1D workers to be a limiting factor, requiring adjustments in their hiring practices.
On the other hand, concerns about maintaining fair wages and working conditions for both domestic and foreign workers highlight the need for vigilant enforcement to prevent any negative effects on the existing workforce. Mismanagement or lax enforcement of these provisions could lead to unfair labor practices.
Additionally, privacy advocates may argue against the extensive background checks and biometric data collection as potentially intrusive and unjustified, urging for better safeguards and transparency in how this data is stored and used.
In conclusion, while this bill could bring much-needed assistance to an essential sector of the healthcare system, the terms and conditions, as they currently stand, present various challenges that need addressing to ensure equitable application and enforcement without compromising individual rights or burdening small businesses.
Financial Assessment
In reviewing the financial aspects of H.R. 10007, the "Paramedic and Emergency Medical Technician Relief Act of 2024," there are several key areas where money is explicitly referenced and where financial implications could arise from the bill's provisions.
Administrative Penalties and Fees
The bill outlines a structure for imposing civil monetary penalties on employers who fail to meet certain conditions or misrepresent facts in their attestations. Specifically, penalties are capped at $1,000 per emergency medical technician or paramedic per violation, with a total penalty not to exceed $10,000 per violation. This financial deterrent aims to enforce compliance among employers with the bill's regulatory requirements. However, it raises a concern about how effectively these penalties are enforced, tying into the issue of the lack of detailed enforcement mechanisms.
Additionally, the Secretary of Labor is authorized to impose a filing fee on employers submitting attestations, which shall be used to cover the Secretary's administrative duties related to this bill. The fee amount is determined based on administrative costs but is capped at $250. While the bill allows the collection of these fees, it leaves open questions about the sufficiency of these fees to cover all related administrative costs, hinting at the broader issue of potential unforeseen expenses.
Potential Costs and Financial Oversight
The bill requires various administrative actions that could incur costs, such as conducting background checks and compliance monitoring. However, it does not include clear estimates of these potential costs. This omission ties into the concern raised about unforeseeable expenses, as the lack of detailed financial projections could affect both program implementation and overall budget management.
Moreover, the coordination between agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Labor, in administering this visa program adds another layer of potential financial complexity. The bill does not elaborate on how these agencies will manage budgetary aspects or share financial responsibilities, aligning with concerns about inefficiencies or wasteful practices if these aspects are not clearly addressed.
Financial Impact on Employers
The financial stipulations also emphasize that employers must ensure that hiring nonimmigrant EMTs and paramedics does not adversely affect the wages or job opportunities for U.S. citizens. Employers are required to provide wages that match those of similarly employed U.S. EMTs and paramedics. This requirement relates to concerns about nondiscrimination in wage rates and overall treatment of H-1D visa holders.
Overall, H.R. 10007 touches on several financial aspects concerning penalties, fees, costs of enforcement, and fair wage practices, yet it leaves substantial financial implications open to interpretation, which could affect both the program's implementation and fiscal accountability.
Issues
The provision allowing the Secretary of Homeland Security to adjust numerical limitations or grant exemptions on H-1D visas based on 'extreme hardship, national interest, or other compelling circumstances' is vague and might lead to inconsistencies in how it is applied, raising fairness and consistency concerns. (Section 2)
The bill includes significant privacy concerns due to the requirement of biometric data collection, criminal record checks, and background investigations for nonimmigrant EMTs and paramedics, which could be seen as overly invasive. (Section 2)
The reporting requirements to Congress, while comprehensive, do not specify how identified problems such as fraud, abuse, or non-compliance will be addressed, potentially resulting in unresolved ongoing issues. (Section 2)
The requirement that employers cannot exceed 15 percent of their workforce with H-1D visa holders may disproportionately affect smaller organizations compared to larger ones, presenting fairness concerns. (Section 2)
The costs associated with implementing the provisions, such as conducting background checks and compliance monitoring, are not clearly estimated in the bill, leading to potential unforeseeable expenses. (Section 3)
The lack of detailed accountability or oversight mechanisms for the coordination between the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Labor, and other agencies may result in inefficiencies or wasteful practices if not clearly addressed. (Section 3)
The complexity of the bill's language might make it difficult for a layperson to understand without professional interpretation, hindering public understanding and compliance. (Section 2)
There's a potential lack of detailed monitoring and enforcement mechanisms to ensure non-discrimination and fair treatment in wage rates and working conditions for H-1D visa holders compared to U.S. workers. (Section 2)
Sections
Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.
1. Short title Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
This section establishes the short title of the legislation as the "Paramedic and Emergency Medical Technician Relief Act of 2024".
2. Establishment of H–1D visas for EMTs and paramedics Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The bill establishes a new H–1D visa category for foreign emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics to work temporarily in the U.S. To qualify, they must meet certain educational and licensing requirements, undergo background checks, and employers must fulfill specific conditions such as ensuring fair wages and not exceeding a limit on the percentage of foreign workers in their workforce.
Money References
- “(iv) If the Secretary of Labor finds, after notice and opportunity for a hearing, that an employer (for which an attestation is made) has failed to meet a condition attested to or that there was a misrepresentation of material fact in the attestation, the Secretary of Labor shall notify the Secretary of Homeland Security of such finding and may, in addition, impose such other administrative remedies (including civil monetary penalties in an amount not to exceed $1,000 per emergency medical technician or paramedic per violation, with the total penalty not to exceed $10,000 per violation) as the Secretary of Labor determines to be appropriate.
- “(F)(i) The Secretary of Labor shall impose on an employer filing an attestation under subparagraph (A) a filing fee, in an amount prescribed by the Secretary based on the costs of carrying out the Secretary's duties under this subsection, but not exceeding $250.
3. Effective date Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section outlines that the Act will become effective 180 days after it is enacted. During this time, the Secretaries of Homeland Security and Labor must create regulations and guidance. This involves developing application forms, conducting background checks, working with other agencies, and providing training to ensure the smooth admission of certain foreign workers.