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HB 1259

Emergency medical services personnel; career fatigue and wellness program, report.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Irene Shin

Virginia would establish a career fatigue and wellness program for EMS personnel and report on its implementation and effectiveness to the legislature.

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Bill Summary · HB 1259

Legislative bill overview

HB 1259 directs Virginia to establish and implement a career fatigue and wellness program specifically designed for emergency medical services (EMS) personnel. The bill also requires a comprehensive report on the program's development, implementation, and effectiveness to be submitted to the General Assembly.

Why is this important

EMS workers face exceptionally high rates of burnout, PTSD, substance abuse, and suicide compared to the general population due to chronic stress, irregular schedules, and repeated trauma exposure. Creating a structured wellness program could address these critical occupational health issues and potentially reduce turnover, improve service quality, and save lives within the EMS workforce itself.

Potential points of contention

  • Funding mechanism unclear: The bill does not specify how the program will be funded or which state agency bears implementation responsibility, raising questions about feasibility and budget impact
  • Scope and mandatory participation: Unclear whether participation would be voluntary or mandatory, and whether the program covers all EMS personnel (volunteer, career, private sector) or only certain categories
  • Effectiveness metrics: The bill requires a report but doesn't define what constitutes success, making it difficult to evaluate whether resources produced measurable mental health or retention improvements

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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