Recognition of EMS Personnel Licensure Interstate Compact - EMS Compact
| Abbreviation | REPLICA |
|---|---|
| Formation | October 11, 2017 |
| Type | Interstate compact |
| Purpose | Multistate EMS personnel licensure recognition |
Region served | United States |
| Membership | 25 U.S. states |
Official language | English |
Chair | Kraig Kinney |
Executive Director | Donnie Woodyard Jr. |
| Website | www |
The United States EMS Compact, officially the Recognition of EMS Personnel Licensure Interstate Compact (REPLICA), is an interstate compact that enables day-to-day practice by licensed emergency medical services personnel across member state lines by recognizing a privilege to practice.[1][2] The compact was formalized on October 11, 2017, when Georgia became the tenth state to enact the REPLICA model legislation, establishing the Interstate Commission for EMS Personnel Practice.[3]
As of October 2025, 25 states have enacted the compact.[4][5]
Legal basis
The compact is grounded in Article I, Section 10, Clause 3 of the United States Constitution, known as the Compact Clause, which authorizes states to enter into agreements with other states with Congressional consent.[6] In Virginia v. Tennessee (1893), the Supreme Court held that not all interstate compacts require explicit Congressional approval.[7]
Interstate compacts are enacted as state law in each participating jurisdiction. The legal mechanism for the privilege to practice is established in Section 4(A) of the REPLICA model legislation.[8]
Governance
The compact establishes the Interstate Commission for EMS Personnel Practice, a multistate governmental entity composed of one gubernatorial appointee from each member state.[9] The commission administers and enforces the compact's provisions, including rulemaking authority as provided by the compact and member state law.
The commission is recognized in federal interagency documents as playing a role in coordinating EMS workforce policy across state lines.[10]
Composition and representation
Each member state's governor appoints one commissioner to represent the state, typically the senior executive branch official overseeing emergency medical services. Every state has equal representation with one vote per state on all matters before the commission.[11]
As of October 2025, the chair is Kraig Kinney and the executive director is Donnie Woodyard Jr.[12]
Authority and responsibilities
The commission's responsibilities include:
- Adopting administrative rules for compact implementation
- Overseeing compliance and enforcement among member states
- Managing the coordinated database for licensure and disciplinary information
- Resolving disputes between member states
- Conducting public meetings and soliciting public comment on proposed rules
The commission meets regularly throughout the year, with both virtual meetings and an annual in-person meeting.[13]
Leadership
The United States EMS Compact Commission is governed by an Executive Committee elected by the seated state commissioners. Since its formation in 2017, the Commission has been led by the following officers.[14][15]
Chairpersons
- Kraig Kinney (Indiana) — July 1, 2023 – present
- Donnie Woodyard Jr. (Colorado) — October 22, 2022 – June 30, 2023
- Joseph Schmider (Texas) — October 7, 2017 – October 22, 2022
- Doug Wolfberg, JD — Inaugural Chair, October 7, 2017
Vice Chairpersons
- Wayne Denny — July 1, 2023 – present
- Kraig Kinney (Indiana) — November 2, 2022 – June 30, 2023
- Donnie Woodyard Jr. (Colorado) — September 18, 2020 – October 22, 2022
- Jeanne Marie Bakehouse (Colorado) — October 7, 2017 – September 18, 2020
Treasurers
- Brad Vande Lune (Iowa) — July 1, 2023 – present
- Wayne Denny (Idaho) — November 6, 2020 – July 2023
- Stephen Wilson (Alabama) — October 7, 2017 – October 2020
Secretaries
- Joseph House (Kansas) — April 3, 2020 – present
- Andy Gienapp (Wyoming) — October 7, 2017 – April 2020
Commissioners-at-Large
- Aaron Koehler (Wyoming) — June 2023 – present
- Aaron Rhone (Pennsylvania) — December 12, 2022 – June 2023
- Gary Brown (Virginia) — September 23, 2021 – December 2022
- Justin Romanello (New Hampshire) — June 16, 2020 – September 2021
- Donna G. Tidwell (Tennessee) — October 7, 2017 – June 2020
References
- ^ "Emergency Medical Services Personnel Licensure Compact". Council of State Governments. Retrieved 2025-10-30.
- ^ "Interstate Commission for EMS Personnel Practice". Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Retrieved 2025-10-30.
- ^ "EMS Compact Member States & Commissioners". EMS Compact. 2017-10-11. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
- ^ "Arkansas Becomes the 25th State to Join the EMS Compact". EMS Compact. 2025-03-20. Retrieved 2025-10-30.
- ^ "Emergency Medical Services Personnel Licensure Compact". Council of State Governments. Retrieved 2025-10-30.
- ^ U.S. Const. art. I, § 10, cl. 3
- ^ Virginia v. Tennessee, 148 U.S. 503 (1893).
- ^ "EMS Compact Model Legislation". EMS Compact. 2025-01-05. Retrieved 2025-01-05.
- ^ "EMS Compact Governance". EMS Compact. 2025-01-05. Retrieved 2025-01-05.
- ^ "Workforce & Safety Committee of the FICEMS Technical Working Group" (PDF). Federal Interagency Committee on Emergency Medical Services. June 2023. Retrieved 2025-10-30.
- ^ "States & Commissioners". EMS Compact. Retrieved 2025-10-30.
- ^ "States & Commissioners". EMS Compact. Retrieved 2025-10-30.
- ^ "Commission Meetings". EMS Compact. Retrieved 2025-10-30.
- ^ "Leadership and Governance". United States EMS Compact Commission. Interstate Commission for EMS Personnel Practice. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
- ^ "Q4 2025 Board Book" (PDF). United States EMS Compact Commission. Interstate Commission for EMS Personnel Practice. Retrieved November 3, 2025.