By: Chavez H.B. No. 4532
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to reports regarding the provision of emergency ground
ambulance services in counties.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 774, Health and Safety Code, is amended
by adding Section 774.005 to read as follows:
Sec. 774.005. COUNTY SELF-ASSESSMENT OF PROVISION OF
EMERGENCY GROUND AMBULANCE SERVICES. (a) Each county shall assess
the emergency ground ambulance services provided in that county
from all sources.
(b) The executive commissioner of the Health and Human
Services Commission shall adopt rules governing the
self-assessment required by this section. At minimum, the rules
must require each county, in the county's self-assessment, to
address:
(1) the minimum training, licensing, or certification
of ambulance personnel;
(2) the staffing of ambulances in the county;
(3) the types of vehicles used as ambulances in the
county;
(4) the type of advanced life support or basic life
support, as defined by Section 773.003, that ambulance personnel
provide;
(5) the local deployment plan for ground ambulance
services; and
(6) other information determined by the executive
commissioner as necessary for inclusion in the county's
self-assessment of emergency ground ambulance services.
(c) A county or municipality may establish reporting
standards for emergency ground ambulance services that are stricter
than those adopted under this section.
(d) A county, emergency services district, or other entity
may operate an emergency ground ambulance service that is operated
in accordance with federal laws, the laws of this state, and other
state and local rules.
(e) Not later than March 1 of each year, each county shall
publish a report on the availability of emergency ground ambulance
services within the county during the previous calendar year based
on the county's self-assessment using factors adopted by the
executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission
under Subsection (b) or by the county under Subsection (c). The
county shall make the report available on the county's Internet
website and annually publish a summary of the report, together with
the address of the website containing the report, in a newspaper of
general circulation in the county. If the county does not operate a
website, the county shall publish the report annually in a
newspaper of general circulation in the county.
SECTION 2. (a) The executive commissioner of the Health and
Human Services Commission shall adopt rules as required by Section
774.005, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act, not later
than January 1, 2010.
(b) Notwithstanding Section 774.005(e), Health and Safety
Code, as added by this Act, a county is not required to publish a
report as required by that section before March 1, 2011.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2009.