The U.S. House of Representatives Passes Legislation to Keep the Federal Government Open Through December 4
On July 21, the U.S. House of Representatives voted for legislation (H.R. 9770) to keep the federal government open until early December. The current fiscal year (Fiscal Year (FY) 2026) runs out on September 30, and the House and Senate have yet to both pass a single appropriations bill for FY 2027. Currently, the appropriations process is stalled in the Senate, where not a single appropriations bill has been released.
So, the House passed H.R. 9770 to fund the federal government through December 4. Senator John Thune (R-SD), the Senate Majority Leader, has expressed interest in having the Senate vote on a continuing resolution before the August 10 Senate recess.
TRICARE Announces Reimbursement for Prehospital Blood Administration
TRICARE, a health insurance program under the Department of Defense Military Health System, announced that it will begin reimbursing an add-on payment for prehospital blood transfusions, in addition to the reimbursement already provided for an ALS2 transport. From January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2031, TRICARE will reimburse EMS agencies for the cost of the unit of blood. Agencies wishing to be reimbursed must include the HCPCS code P9010 and submit an invoice from their blood supplier to receive reimbursement for the cost of the unit of blood. Agencies may also just include the HCPCS code P9010 and be reimbursed at a flat rate of $189.84 if they do not submit an invoice. In addition to the reimbursement for the blood, EMS agencies can bill CPT 36430, direct blood transfusion administration (or subsequent codes, if modified), once during the transport to receive add-on reimbursement for the administration of blood (currently about $40). Leaders of fire-based EMS systems are encouraged to talk with their billing vendors to ensure their departments are billing TRICARE for these add-on payments during the pilot program period. At the end of the pilot, TRICARE will release a report on the effectiveness of the initiative.
IAFC, Fire and EMS Groups Submit Comment on Proposed Medicaid Reimbursement Rule
On July 20, the IAFC, joined by a coalition of fire and EMS groups, submitted comments on a proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that would cap Medicaid supplemental payment programs at Medicare levels. This rule has the potential to cap the Ground Emergency Medical Transport (GEMT) program at Medicare reimbursement levels. The IAFC comments highlight the advances in prehospital care achieved as a result of the program, unrecognized readiness costs, and the challenges faced by fire-based EMS departments due to inadequate federal reimbursement for Medicare patients.
CMS will now review the submitted comments and publish a final version of the rule in the Federal Register. The IAFC continues to advocate for increased reimbursement for EMS services to adequately cover the costs experienced by fire-based EMS agencies.
Senate Committee Approves Cam Hamilton Nomination for FEMA Administrator
On July 22, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted (8-4) to confirm Mr. Cameron Hamilton to be the next Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Mr. Hamilton served as the acting FEMA Administrator for the first part of last year. He also was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy and served with both the State Department and Department of Homeland Security (DHS). At DHS, Mr. Hamilton was the Director of the Emergency Medical Services Division.
Application for National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program Opens August 3
The National Fire Academy announced that the application period for the Executive Fire Officer program opens on August 3. The application will be open through August 31, 2026, or until 500 applications are received. Interested fire chiefs can learn more about the EFO program and start their application at the National Fire Academy website.
U.S. Court of Appeals decision on the 4.9 GHz band
On Wednesday, the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, ruled on pending litigation dealing with the 4.9 GHz spectrum band. This litigation was a result of a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) order that altered the licensing framework for this spectrum band which is reserved for public safety. The U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that the FCC can now move forward with the selection of a “band manager” for this public safety spectrum. That band manager be allowed to apply for a nationwide license that is overlaid on top of existing smaller, geographical licenses that use the band’s frequency. It also allows the band manager to share the band’s unused frequency with the federal FirstNet Authority.
House Committee Markup on Legislation to Reauthorize PHMSA
On Tuesday, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce marked up legislation that would reauthorize the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). PHMSA distributes many of the grants that the fire service uses for hazmat response training. H.R. 9338 is the House’s safety portion of this legislation. PHMSA has been operating without authorization since 2023. The current House legislation reauthorizes PHMSA for another 4 years, while legislation in the Senate reauthorizes it for another 5 years. Now that every committee with jurisdiction over PHMSA has advanced legislation, the House bills (H.R. 5301 and H.R. 9338) await action on the House floor. The Senate passed their version of PHMSA reauthorization (S. 2975) on April 29. After the House passes their bills, they must go to conference with the Senate to work out their differences.
NIOSH Seeks Participation in LODD Survey
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is seeking participants for a brief survey about line-of-duty deaths (LODD) and serious injury investigations.
Every year, 60 to 100 firefighters die in the line of duty. When LODDs occur, fire departments can ask the NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP)to conduct independent investigations. FFFIPP then writes a LODD Investigation Report with recommendations to prevent future incidents.
NIOSH is surveying personnel from fire departments across the country to understand better what human factors are important to firefighter LODD and serious injury investigations. Human factors are how people interact with their environment, tools, and each other. This includes understanding how people think, act, and make decisions. This is important in work or emergency situations. The results of this survey will help find, create, and improve tools that can be used by both the FFFIPP and by fire departments, as needed.
Please consider taking this survey and asking others in your department to do the same. NIOSH is trying to gather information from chief officers, company officers, and firefighters, especially those who have served in a safety officer role. The survey will take between 15 and 20 minutes, and your responses will be kept confidential. Questions will not ask for personal information about you or your fire department. Your participation is voluntary, and all questions are optional. You can end the survey at any time.
Below is a link to the survey. You can stop and start the survey as needed using the “Save & Return Later” button.
You can take the survey on any device but is best viewed on a larger screen like a desktop or laptop computer.
The survey will be open until January 2027. If you have any questions, concerns, or technical difficulties related to the survey, please reach out to NIOSHFireTrauma@cdc.gov.