Bipartisan bills would allow 17-year-olds in Michigan to receive EMT license with parent permission

A bipartisan pair of Michigan lawmakers introduced bills that would let 17-year-olds obtain EMT or medical first responder licenses if a parent signs the application. The House Health Policy Committee heard testimony Wednesday on House Bills 5488 and 5489 from Reps. Angela Witwer and David Prestin, the latter a licensed paramedic.

Prestin argued that high school graduates trained through career and technical programs currently wait months to start work due to age rules, and that the training itself, including required clinical hours, filters out those unprepared for the job. The bills would not affect ambulance driving requirements, which remain set at 18 or higher depending on the agency.

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