Stroke Education and EMS Care Improvement Act of 2026

(a) Establishment

(1) In general. Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish, in accordance with the requirements of this section, a program to be known as the National Standardized EMS Stroke Education Program (in this section referred to as the program).

(2) Consultation. In establishing the program, the Secretary shall consult with—

(A) the Secretary of Transportation;

(B) the Federal Interagency Committee on EMS;

(C) the American Stroke Association;

(D) the Society for Vascular and Interventional Neurology;

(E) the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians;

(F) National Association of EMS Educators;

(G) the National EMS Advisory Council; and

(H) other relevant stakeholders designated by the Secretary.

(b) Program goals. The goals of the program shall be—

(1) to develop a standardized, evidence-based curriculum that covers the recognition of stroke symptoms, the pre-hospital management of stroke patients, and appropriate transport protocols for different types of strokes;

(2) to ensure national consistency in stroke education across all levels of EMS personnel, including paramedics, emergency medical technicians, and first responders; and

(3) to address the specific needs of EMS agencies providing services to underserved and rural areas, ensuring equal access to training and resources.

(c) Program activities

(1) In general. In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall provide for—

(A) the development and implementation of a standardized stroke education curriculum;

(B) the training of EMS clinicians nationwide, including through grants under paragraph (2); and

(C) the collection and analysis of data to measure the effectiveness of the program in improving stroke outcomes.

(2) Grants

(A) In general. To assist with the implementation of the program, the Secretary may make grants, on a competitive basis, to State and local EMS agencies.

(B) Distribution. In distributing grants under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall give priority to State and local EMS agencies that—

(i) provide services to underserved and rural areas; and

(ii) face unique challenges in providing timely stroke care.

(3) Stroke care quality improvement measures

(A) Data collection and monitoring. The Secretary shall establish a system to track the effectiveness of the program, including information regarding—

(i) the number of EMS clinicians trained in the standardized stroke curriculum;

(ii) the impact of the program on key stroke care outcomes, including the time to treatment, patient mortality rates, and the number of patients transferred to stroke centers; and

(iii) State-by-State variations in EMS stroke care and how the program is addressing disparities in access to stroke care.

(B) Annual reports. Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter during the term on the program, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that includes—

(i) an analysis of the success of the program; and

(ii) recommendations for improvements to the program, including potential changes to the curriculum, delivery methods, or funding structure.

(4) Curriculum requirements. The program shall—

(A) include a comprehensive overview of stroke types;

(B) cover recognized stroke scales to assess stroke severity;

(C) address the importance of early recognition, timely intervention, and appropriate routing to certified stroke centers; and

(D) provide interactive case studies and real-world scenarios to enhance practical application.

(d) Equity and accessibility considerations

(1) Priority for underserved areas. In distributing funding for training and implementation of the program, the Secretary shall give priority to underserved areas and to those EMS agencies that face barriers to accessing stroke education programs, including—

(A) rural EMS systems with limited access to training resources; and

(B) low-income urban areas with high stroke prevalence but limited healthcare access.

(2) Technology access. The Secretary shall ensure that the program is accessible to EMS personnel in remote or underserved areas through online training modules, telemedicine support, and other digital tools.

(e) Authorization of Federal interagency collaboration

(1) Collaboration with other agencies. The Secretary may collaborate with other Federal agencies, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to coordinate efforts related to stroke education, training, and healthcare delivery.

(2) Cross-agency partnerships. The Secretary shall work with national EMS organizations and professional medical societies to ensure broad participation and expert input into the development of the program.

(f) Authorization of appropriations. There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2032.