Press Releases
Reps. Lawler and Espaillat Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Streamline Emergency Room Operations
Washington, D.C. ,
June 12, 2025
Washington, D.C. – 6/12/25… Today, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) and Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) reintroduced the Streamline Emergency Care Act to provide more resources to emergency departments to lower wait times and ensure quality care at these facilities. This bill establishes a grant program to expand, modernize, and streamline emergency room (ER) operations. Grant funds may be used to hire additional healthcare workers, repurpose hospital spaces, implement new processes, purchase new equipment, and provide training to increase capacity at existing ERs. “As emergency room wait times continue to rise, it’s clear that we need targeted, practical solutions to address capacity and efficiency challenges,” said Congressman Lawler. “This bill’s grant program will provide critical funding to emergency departments so they can hire more healthcare professionals, invest in modern equipment, implement training programs that improve patient flow, and more. Strengthening our emergency care infrastructure is essential to ensuring timely, high-quality care for all New Yorkers.” “Increased emergency room wait times have become far too common in New York and across the country. Our bill establishes a new grant program to help ER facilities around the nation expand and modernize their existing operations to better serve the needs of their patients,” said Congressman Espaillat. “Through our bipartisan collaboration, we are working to streamline and improve the quality of care of our nation’s emergency rooms. Our bill is a vital step towards safeguarding the health and well-being of our communities, make emergency care more accessible, and care more affordable for all Americans.” “Greater New York Hospital Association strongly supports the Streamline Emergency Care Act. Emergency departments care for every patient who walks through their doors, regardless of their condition or ability to pay. As hospitals confront the dual crises of soaring inflation and a worsening labor shortage, they urgently need additional Federal support to continue delivering timely, high-quality emergency care. This important bill will help hospitals invest in emergency care services, plan for and respond to emergencies, and meet the nation’s growing health care needs. The hospital community thanks Rep. Lawler and Rep. Espaillat for their leadership and support on this issue,” said Greater New York Hospital Association President Kenneth E. Raske. “Providing care for approximately 140 million patient visits annually, emergency departments deliver a vital service and function as the safety net of our society. Additional funding to expand, modernize, and streamline emergency care operations is critical for the smooth functioning of this essential 24-7 healthcare service. I want to thank Congressman Lawler and Congressman Espaillat for introducing this very important piece of legislation,” said Dr. Angela Mills, Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center. “The Healthcare Association of New York State applauds Reps. Mike Lawler and Adriano Espaillat for championing the Streamline Emergency Care Act. HANYS supports this important legislation that will improve emergency department operations in our hospitals,” said HANYS President Bea Grause, RN, JD. “Hospital emergency departments are critical access points for healthcare in communities across the state and are the only door open 24/7. The Streamlining Emergency Care Act will help improve the efficiencies of this essential access point and ensure New Yorkers receive the care they need when they need it.” “Emergency rooms are the front door to healthcare system for many Americans – a door that is always open, regardless of medical condition or ability to pay. ERs treat everything from minor injuries to life-threatening conditions, which demands efficient operations, modern facilities, advanced technology and a well-trained, flexible workforce. The financial challenges of the hospital sector have made it difficult to continuously invest in these upgrades. We thank Congressmen Lawler and Espaillat for recognizing this urgent need with the Streamline Emergency Care Act,” said Wendy D. Darwell. President and CEO of Suburban Hospital Alliance of NYS, Nassau-Suffolk Hospital Council, and Northern Metropolitan Hospital Association. “This provides a great opportunity for NYU Langone to increase capacity in our emergency departments across the health system, allowing us to provide top-quality care to even more patients,” said Elizabeth Golden, EVP Communications, Marketing, Government and Community Affairs, NYU Langone Health. “Emergency departments across the country are under immense strain, putting our patients' lives at risk,” said Alison Haddock, MD, FACEP, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). “The 'Streamline Emergency Care Act' is a thoughtful, targeted effort to provide emergency physicians with the necessary resources to improve patient flow, expand staffing, and modernize emergency department operations so that patients can get the care they need when they need it. ACEP thanks Representatives Lawler and Espaillat for their leadership in strengthening our nation’s emergency care safety net.” The following organizations have endorsed the Streamline Emergency Care Act:
Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York's 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He was rated the most effective freshman lawmaker in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs. ### Full text of the bill can be found HERE. |