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WASHINGTON, DC (15 OCTOBER 2026)— The Interstate Commission for EMS Personnel Practice today released a proposed revision of the Commission’s Bylaws for public review and comment. Comments will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, December 4, 2026. The Commission will consider the revision for adoption at its Q4 2026 Full Commission Meeting on Wednesday, December 9, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time, held virtually via Microsoft Teams.
The proposal was developed by the Commission’s Bylaws and Rules Committee, reviewed by the Commission’s legal counsel, and advanced for public notice by vote of the Committee on August 26, 2026. On October 14, 2026, the Executive Committee added a provision on the disposition of funds upon dissolution, which the Commission’s legal counsel approved on October 15, 2026. It would revise the current Bylaws, originally adopted October 17, 2017, and last amended November 15, 2023. The current Bylaws remain in effect unless and until the Commission adopts the revision.
Review the Proposed Revision
- Read the proposed revision online, with every change shown against the current Bylaws, or switch to view the proposed text alone
- Redline PDF, showing all changes against the Bylaws as amended November 15, 2023
- Clean PDF, showing the Bylaws as they would read if adopted
Why a Governmental Body Has Bylaws
The Commission is a governmental body created by state law, and its Bylaws are a requirement of that law, not an option. Every state that joins the EMS Compact enacts the same model legislation, the Recognition of EMS Personnel Licensure Interstate Compact (REPLICA). Section 10.C of that law provides: “The Commission shall, by a majority vote of the delegates, prescribe bylaws and/or rules to govern its conduct as may be necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes and exercise the powers of the compact.”
The law goes on to name subjects the Bylaws must address, including the Commission’s personnel policies, “a code of ethics to address permissible and prohibited activities of Commission members and employees,” and “a mechanism for winding up the operations of the Commission and the equitable disposition of any surplus funds.” It also requires the Commission to publish its Bylaws and file a copy, and any amendment, with the appropriate agency or officer in each state. Several of those statutory requirements are not carried out in the current Bylaws. The proposed revision is intended to close those gaps and align the Bylaws with the law that created the Commission.
What the Proposed Revision Would Do
- Authority and definitions. States the Commission’s status as a governmental entity and instrumentality of its Member States, provides that the Compact and the Commission’s Administrative Rules control in any conflict, and incorporates their definitions by reference.
- Commissioners. Ties appointments to Section 10.B of the Compact and asks states to use their best efforts to fill a vacancy within thirty days, with a process for confirming a Commissioner’s appointment when their state role changes.
- Officers. Establishes a written nomination process, supported by an informational report on each nominee, and provides for removal of an officer or Executive Committee member for cause by a two-thirds vote of the Commission. Adds procedures for simultaneous vacancies and for resignations.
- Executive Director and personnel. Defines the Executive Director’s role and accountability, and adds personnel policy requirements under Section 10.C.5 of the Compact.
- Immunity, defense, and indemnification. Conforms the covered persons to the wording of the Compact.
- Meetings. Addresses notice of regular and special meetings, roll-call verification of quorum and recorded votes at electronic meetings, closed sessions under Section 10.B.5 of the Compact, a quorum counted on seated Commissioners, decisions by a majority of Commissioners present and voting, and Robert’s Rules of Order as a procedural guide.
- Executive Committee and committees. Sets out the Executive Committee’s reserved powers, ninety-day ratification of emergency actions, a voting immediate past chairperson, vacancy rules, a quorum, and notice requirements, and establishes four standing committees.
- Finance. Adds an annual report that includes the independent audit or financial review, and states the Compact’s limits on incurring obligations and pledging state credit.
- Ethics and records. Adds a new article on a Code of Ethics, conflict-of-interest disclosures, and whistleblower protections, and a new article on records, transparency, and data access.
- Adoption, publication, and dissolution. Requires publication and filing of the Bylaws within thirty days of adoption or amendment, updates the dissolution provisions, and adds wind-up procedures, the return of unexpended grant or restricted funds where the terms of a grant or agreement require it, and the distribution of all remaining surplus funds to the Member States (REPLICA Section 10.C.7).
This summary is provided for convenience. The proposed text itself governs.
How to Comment
- Comment deadline: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Friday, December 4, 2026
- Submit comments online: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/g/s3U0MZ55bW, or scan the QR code on this page. Comments must be submitted through this form.
- All comments are public record.
- Speaking at the meeting: Under Article VI, Section 5 of the current Bylaws, “upon prior written request to the Commission, any person who desires to present a statement on a matter that is on the agenda shall be afforded an opportunity to present an oral statement to the Commission at a time designated on the meeting’s agenda.” Meeting details are on the December 9, 2026 meeting page.
For more information about the EMS Compact, participating states, or to validate an EMS clinician’s Privilege to Practice, please visit www.emscompact.gov.
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About the Interstate Commission for EMS Personnel Practice
The Interstate Commission for EMS Personnel Practice is the governmental authority in the United States responsible for coordinating, regulating, and overseeing the interstate practice of Emergency Medical Services. Established by the Recognition of EMS Personnel Licensure Interstate Compact (REPLICA) legislation, the Commission is composed of appointed Commissioners from each Compact participating state and is vested with the authority to enforce compliance, administer national operations, resolve multistate regulatory and disciplinary issues, operate the National EMS Coordinated Database, and facilitate immediate license recognition and the Privilege to Practice across state lines. The EMS Compact has been enacted as law in 28 states. Of those, 27 states have implemented the Compact with active Privilege to Practice recognition, enabling more than 450,000 EMS clinicians to deliver care wherever and whenever needed—supporting routine operations, surge staffing, disaster response, recruitment and retention, and the demands of a modern, mobile workforce. The remaining state, Connecticut, has enacted the Compact with a delayed effective date. The Commission safeguards public protection, enhances national preparedness, and stands as the definitive model for multistate licensure in healthcare.
The EMS Compact is law in the following states:
Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Georgia • Idaho • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Louisiana • Mississippi • Missouri • Nebraska • Nevada • North Dakota • Oklahoma • Pennsylvania • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Virginia • West Virginia • Wyoming
