U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater has announced grants to states, territories and native American tribes totaling $8.5 million in Research and Special Programs Administration funds for planning and training to improve response to hazmat transportation incidents.

Of the total, nearly $1.3 million will go to states with counties in the Mississippi Delta Region: $98,074 for Arkansas, $425,763 for Illinois, $121,334 for Kentucky, $139,745 for Louisiana, $119,496 for Mississippi, $181,584 for Missouri and $165,519 for Tennessee.

The Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness grant program is funded by user fees paid by shippers and carriers of certain hazardous materials. Since 1993 these grants have helped train nearly 694,000 hazmat responders.

The iaff received a $250,000 grant under this dot hazmat program. The grant will be used to continue to provide training resources for instructors who conduct hazmat response training programs.

In 1995, the iaff received its first federal grant of $250,000, which was used to train more than 200 fire service instructors. According to the iaff, each instructor who completes the course will train an average of 47.3 students per year.

Rep. Bill Luther (Minn.) has introduced the Emergency Medical Services Efficiency Act in the House of Representatives.

The legislation, H.R. 2831, would amend Title xviii of the Social Security Act to ensure Medicare reimbursement for certain ambulance services and to improve the efficiency of the emergency medical system.

The bill provides for the reimbursement of ambulance services under Medicare based on the "prudent layperson" definition of emergency, rather than the ultimate diagnosis in the emergency room. In addition, the legislation would ensure that ems agencies are eligible for participation in federal grant programs related to rural development, highway transportation, tele-health, and education and research projects specific to highways. The legislation also would establish a Federal Commission on Emergency Ambulance Services.

The Senate version of the bill was introduced last April by Sen. Rod Grams (Minn.) and referred to the Committee on Finance. The House version was referred to the Committee on Commerce, the Committee on Ways and Means, and the Committee on Agriculture.