Sponsors (4)
The bill clarifies overtime coverage for EMTs/paramedics—potentially improving pay and reducing payroll disputes—but risks shifting costs to municipalities or reducing protections for some workers and could prompt litigation while courts interpret the change.
EMTs and paramedics could get clearer overtime rules and in some cases higher pay for overtime hours (clarified partial-overtime language may make more overtime payable).
Employers and emergency medical personnel would have clearer coverage rules for the partial overtime exception, reducing misclassification and payroll disputes.
Municipalities, taxpayers, and patients could face higher costs if the change narrows the exemption and forces more overtime payments.
Some EMTs and paramedics could lose overtime protections and earn less for long shifts if the change broadens the exemption.
Employers and workers may face legal uncertainty, litigation, and administrative costs while courts and agencies interpret the new wording.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Inserts new language into the introductory clause of 29 U.S.C. § 207(k), changing how the FLSA partial-overtime exception applies to covered employees.
Official title: To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide overtime compensation exceptions to employers of emergency medical technicians and paramedics in rural areas.
Introduced February 26, 2026 by Celeste Maloy · Last progress February 26, 2026
Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act provision at 29 U.S.C. § 207(k) that governs partial overtime exceptions for certain employees, inserting new text into the introductory clause that precedes paragraph (1). The change is framed to affect how the statutory 7(k) exception applies—likely altering overtime calculations or eligibility for employees who perform emergency-response duties in rural areas. The bill is short and narrowly focused: it changes statutory language that can change who qualifies for the partial overtime exception and how employers must count hours for overtime pay.