Texas’ EMS Education & Recruitment Program
Building the EMS Workforce in Texas The Power of EMS Agencies Working Together
When Texas EMS agencies unite around a shared challenge, the results speak for themselves. From a conference huddle in Horseshoe Bay to millions in state funding, collective action has transformed the EMS workforce pipeline in Texas.
Together, Texas EMS Agencies Are Making a Difference
The EMS workforce crisis didn’t happen overnight — and the solution didn’t come from one agency acting alone. It came from Texas EMS agencies sitting together, identifying a problem, and building a plan to take to the Texas Legislature.
That collaborative approach — born at EMS EVOLUTION 2021 in Horseshoe Bay — has now produced two landmark workforce initiatives that are training thousands of new EMS professionals across the state.
From Idea to Action: A Texas EMS Timeline
The Huddle at Horseshoe Bay
Attendees at TEMSA’s EMS EVOLUTION 2021 faced a common problem: a rapidly shrinking number of EMS professionals in Texas. Data from the Texas Department of State Health Services showed that only 35% of licensed Texas EMS professionals submitted a patient care report during the first eight months of 2021.
The attendees huddled together and determined that the state of Texas could use federal ARPA funding to create an EMS education and recruitment program. Following the conference, TEMSA members approached key lawmakers about creating the program during the upcoming special session.
SB 8: The Texas Legislature Responds
Texas lawmakers passed SB 8 during the October 2021 special session, creating the EMS Education & Recruitment Program with $21.7 million dedicated to adding 2,500 new EMS professionals in Texas.
✅ Result: $21.7 Million in EMS Workforce Funding
$9 Million in Scholarships Awarded
Governor Greg Abbott announced over $9 million in EMS scholarships, demonstrating the success and reach of the SB 8 program across the state. Thousands of Texans were trained as new EMS professionals as a result of the program.
Continued Investment: EMS Workforce Program Funding
Building on the proven success of SB 8, the 2025 Texas Legislature appropriated $2.5 million for the EMS Workforce Education Grant Program, administered by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). The new program continues the pipeline of EMT, Advanced EMT, and Paramedic education across Texas.
✅ Result: $2.5 Million in Continued EMS Workforce Funding
The New EMS Workforce Education Grant Program
The Texas Workforce Commission is now administering the EMS Workforce Education Grant Program, providing scholarships for EMT, Advanced EMT, and Paramedic education. This is a result of EMS agencies advocating for the program in the 2025 Texas Legislature.
Who Can Apply?
Transporting EMS agencies apply for the grant on behalf of an employee or student candidate. By law, priority is given to rural and underserved areas, but any agency can apply on behalf of an employee or student candidate.
How Does Funding Work?
If approved, TWC will release 80% of the grant funds to the EMS agency, with the expectation that the agency will provide those funds to the state-certified EMS training entity. The final 20% will be released once the student candidate successfully completes the education program.
Funding Caps
As with the SB 8 program, there will be caps on the amount TWC will pay for each training level. TWC is working to finalize caps for each training level.
Application Cycle
TWC will process applications for a two-month period, then pause for one month to reconcile applications with remaining funds, complete required documentation, and evaluate the program workflow. This two-months-on, one-month-off cycle will continue until all funds have been depleted or TWC notifies the industry otherwise.