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A 552NEW JERSEYSession 222State Billin committee

New Jersey Bill A552 Caps EMT-Basic Training at 90 Hours to Ease Workforce Shortages

Original title: Streamlines certification standards for emergency medical technicians.

Last action · January 13, 2026: Introduced, Referred to Assembly Health CommitteeSponsors: Auth, Robert and 2 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

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What This Bill Would Do

New Jersey bill A552 caps required training at 90 hours and limits additional regulated certifications to 30 hours, while requiring automatic certification for applicants with equivalent military experience. Training programs exceeding the 90-hour limit will become ineligible for state certification or recertification.

Why it matters

Aspiring emergency medical technicians face lower educational hurdles to enter the field, while training agencies must scale back their program lengths to maintain state certification.

Background

Emergency medical technician (EMT) certification standards in New Jersey are established and regulated at the state level by the Department of Health. context

Who It Would Affect

Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Applicants for EMT-Basic certification

Applicants face a capped 90-hour training requirement and gain automatic certification eligibility if they possess equivalent military training.

Directly affected

Training agencies

Training agencies lose eligibility for state certification or recertification if their EMT-Basic training program exceeds 90 hours.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the bill affect individuals with military experience?

Applicants with equivalent military training or experience in the active duty, reserve components, or National Guard must be certified by the commissioner if their training meets or exceeds established standards.

What happens to training agencies that offer EMT-Basic programs longer than 90 hours?

They will be ineligible for certification or recertification by the Commissioner of Health.

What else do you want to know?

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Where This Stands

Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Procedural history

1 action

Jan 13, 2026HouseIntroduced
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Health Committee

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

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Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Connected Entities

National Guard, Assembly Health Committee, Armed Forces of the United States and 2 more

OrganizationNational Guard“Military component providing equivalent training and experience”Map →

OrganizationAssembly Health Committee“Committee to which the bill was referred”Map →

OrganizationArmed Forces of the United States“Military branch providing equivalent training and experience”Map →

OrganizationState Board of Medical Examiners“Board that must approve EMT certification standards”Map →

OrganizationCommissioner of Health“Commissioner responsible for establishing training standards and rules”Map →

Sources

Open source document

njleg.state.nj.us

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance65
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy15
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz30
Current news / social attention level

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