Pennsylvania HB 2435: An Act imposing dementia care training requirements for certain emergency medical services providers; and providing for powers and duties of the Department of Health.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 3240
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 2435
Session of
2026
INTRODUCED BY MADDEN, MULLINS, HILL-EVANS, SANCHEZ, PARKER,
PROBST, NEILSON, BOROWSKI, DOUGHERTY AND CEPEDA-FREYTIZ,
APRIL 21, 2026
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON AGING AND OLDER ADULT SERVICES,
APRIL 21, 2026
AN ACT
Imposing dementia care training requirements for certain
emergency medical services providers; and providing for
powers and duties of the Department of Health.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the EMS Dementia
Care Training Act.
Section 2. Purpose.
The purpose of this act is to ensure minimum training
requirements for EMS personnel in this Commonwealth to help them
effectively interact with individuals who have Alzheimer's
disease or other dementias.
Section 3. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
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"Department." The Department of Health of the Commonwealth.
"Emergency medical services provider" or "EMS provider." Any
of the following:
(1) An emergency medical responder.
(2) An emergency medical technician.
(3) An advanced emergency medical technician.
(4) A paramedic.
(5) A prehospital registered nurse.
(6) A prehospital physician extender.
(7) A prehospital emergency medical services physician.
(8) An individual prescribed by regulation of the
department to provide specialized emergency medical services.
Section 4. Training requirement.
A certified first responder shall successfully complete basic
and continued training on identifying and interacting with
individuals with Alzheimer's or other dementias as part of EMS
provider training or continuing EMS provider education.
Section 5. Duty of department.
The department shall develop and promulgate a dementia
training program in cooperation with the Department of Aging.
The program shall include instruction on identifying and
interacting with individuals with Alzheimer's or other
dementias, best practices on emergency medical care for them and
identifying signs of elder abuse as part of basic training and
continued education.
Section 6. Duration of training.
The program under section 5 shall require the following:
(1) Initial training of three hours during the
certification process for EMS personnel that includes:
(i) dementia, psychiatric and behavioral symptoms,
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and common medical emergencies experienced by individuals
living with dementia;
(ii) communication issues, including how to
communicate respectfully and effectively with the
individual who has dementia in order to determine the
most appropriate response and effective communication
techniques to enhance collaboration with caregivers;
(iii) methods to address behavioral symptoms during
the administration of emergency medical treatment;
(iv) identification and reporting of incidents of
abuse, neglect and exploitation;
(v) protocols for contacting caregivers when an
individual with dementia is found wandering or during
emergency or crisis situations; and
(vi) local caregiving resources that are available
for individuals living with dementia.
(2) Continuing education to include one hour of dementia
training covering the subjects described in paragraph (1).
Section 7. Noncompliance.
An EMS provider who fails to successfully complete the
approved dementia training in violation of this act shall be
subject to rules and regulations established under 35 Pa.C.S. §
8121 (relating to certification sanctions).
Section 8. Grandfather provisions.
(a) Prior training.--An EMS provider who has successfully
completed dementia training that meets the minimum criteria
established by the department within 18 months prior to the
effective date of this subsection shall be deemed to have
satisfied the initial three-hour precertification training
requirement and shall not be required to repeat the training as
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a condition of certification or recertification.
(b) Annual training.--An EMS provider described in
subsection (a) remains subject to the continuing education
requirement specified in section 6(2) and must complete one hour
of dementia training annually.
(c) Duty of department.--In evaluating eligibility under
subsection (a), the department shall apply the minimum criteria
retroactively to training completed within the 18 months prior
to the effective date of this subsection and shall establish
procedures for EMS providers to demonstrate eligibility,
including acceptable forms of documentation evidencing prior
training completion.
Section 9. Relationship to other law.
If another act enacted, or regulations promulgated, prior to
t