By: Uresti S.B. No. 2081
(In the Senate - Filed March 13, 2009; March 31, 2009, read
first time and referred to Committee on Intergovernmental
Relations; April 21, 2009, reported adversely, with favorable
Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 5, Nays 0;
April 21, 2009, sent to printer.)
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 2081 By: Gallegos
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 that respond to 9-1-1 or other emergency
calls and provide primary emergency response.
(b) The executive commissioner of the Health and Human
Services Commission, in consultation with the commissioner of state
health services, 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 may adopt an order requiring all ambulance
providers that respond to 9-1-1 or other emergency calls in the
county and provide primary emergency response to submit to the
county information to enable the county to comply with this
section.
(e) 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.
(f) 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 provide the report to the Department of State Health
Services, 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, in consultation with the
commissioner of state health services, 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 Subsection (f), Section 774.005, Health
and Safety Code, as added by this Act, a county is not required to
publish a report as required by that subsection 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.
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