Last month, the 2.3 percent medical device, a part of the Affordable Care Act, came into effect. While recent stories from companies like Boston Scientific and Medtronic indicate that the medical device tax may have less of an impact than originally anticipated, many Republicans are making a stand against the sales tax. However, Republicans have introduced different pieces of legislation for combatting the tax.

While most efforts have concentrated on a complete repeal of the tax, a new bill under review by the United States House of Representatives would provide a medical device tax exemption for products used by emergency responders. The new bill was introduced by Representative Erik Paulsen, a Minnesota Republican. The bill currently has three Republican co-sponsors, including Rep. Ken Calvert (California), Rep. Michael Grimm (New York) and Rep. Walter Jones Jr. (North Carolina).

The exemption for emergency medical devices would apply to any medical device that is used by ambulance services or first responders providing pre-hospital care, out-of-hospital care and transportation. In addition, any “qualified emergency medical device” would be exempted.

While the effort to exempt emergency medical devices has meager support from House Republicans, an all-out repeal bill has a significant amount of support from the GOP. A full repeal bill introduced by Paulsen is co-sponsored by 187 other house members.

In the United States Senate, The following U.S. Senators are cosponsoring a bill to repeal the entire 2.3 percent medical device tax.

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.)
Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R.-N.H.)
Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.)
Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.)
Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.)
Sen. Robert Casey Jr. (D-Pa.)
Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.)
Sen. Daniel Coats (R-Ind.)
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.)
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine)
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas)
Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho)
Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.)
Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.)
Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.)
Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.)
Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.)
Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.)
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)
Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.)
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Ark.)
Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio)
Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho)
Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.)
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)
Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.)
Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.)
Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.)