Texas 2013 - 83rd Regular

Texas House Bill HB2426 Compare Versions

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Old	New	Differences
1	1	83R18576 KKR-F
2	2	By: Martinez H.B. No. 2426
3	3	Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2426:
4	4	By: Kolkhorst C.S.H.B. No. 2426
5	5
6	6
7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to certification and recertification requirements and
10	10	adoption of statewide certification examinations for emergency
11	11	services personnel.
12	12	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
13	13	SECTION 1. Section 773.012, Health and Safety Code, is
14	14	amended by adding Subsections (m), (n), and (o) to read as follows:
15	15	(m) The advisory council shall develop and submit to the
16	16	commissioner for approval a process for evaluating national testing
17	17	and certifying organizations to be used by the department in
18	18	providing statewide certification examinations for emergency
19	19	medical services personnel. In developing the evaluation process,
20	20	the council shall include criteria to ensure that:
21	21	(1) an approved organization tests and certifies
22	22	emergency medical services personnel based on the national
23	23	emergency medical services education standards of the United States
24	24	Department of Transportation or on similar emergency medical
25	25	services education standards specified by the commissioner;
26	26	(2) an approved organization provides a valid testing
27	27	procedure and appropriate testing content; and
28	28	(3) an approved organization's certification
29	29	examination:
30	30	(A) is based on the national emergency medical
31	31	services education standards described in Subdivision (1); and
32	32	(B) includes procedures to test practical skills
33	33	proficiency or for the attestation of practical skills proficiency
34	34	as required by the initial education program for emergency medical
35	35	services personnel.
36	36	(n) Using the approval process developed and approved under
37	37	Subsection (m), the advisory council shall:
38	38	(1) evaluate each request for approval to provide
39	39	statewide certification examinations for emergency medical
40	40	services personnel that is submitted by a national testing and
41	41	certifying organization; and
42	42	(2) submit to the commissioner the advisory council's
43	43	recommendation on whether the department should approve a national
44	44	testing and certifying organization's request to provide statewide
45	45	certification examinations for emergency medical services
46	46	personnel not later than six months after the date a request for
47	47	consideration from an organization is received by the council.
48	48	(o) Not later than the 60th day after the date the
49	49	commissioner receives a recommendation made by the advisory council
50	50	under Subsection (n), the commissioner shall determine whether to
51	51	approve the recommended national testing and certifying
52	52	organization to provide statewide certification examinations for
53	53	emergency medical services personnel.
54	54	SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 773, Health and Safety
55	55	Code, is amended by adding Section 773.0541 to read as follows:
56	56	Sec. 773.0541. CERTIFICATION AND RECERTIFICATION
57	57	REQUIREMENTS FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL PERSONNEL. (a) The
58	58	commissioner shall consider and approve not more than three
59	59	national testing and certifying organizations recommended by the
60	60	advisory council under Section 773.012(n) for the certification and
61	61	recertification of emergency medical services personnel. A
62	62	statewide certification examination approved by the commissioner
63	63	must meet the requirements specified in Section 773.012(m).
64	64	(b) In establishing minimum standards under Section
65	65	773.050, the commissioner shall establish standards for the
66	66	recertification of emergency medical services personnel that allow
67	67	personnel to qualify for recertification by complying with one of
68	68	the following options:
69	69	(1) passing a statewide certification examination
70	70	approved by the commissioner;
71	71	(2) successfully completing the continuing education
72	72	requirements established by the department, which may not exceed
73	73	the maximum number of education hours required by an approved
74	74	national testing and certifying organization to ensure competency
75	75	of emergency medical services personnel;
76	76	(3) holding a current certification issued by a
77	77	national certifying organization approved by the commissioner; and
78	78	(4) successfully completing a formal recertification
79	79	course that complies with the minimum hours and standards
80	80	established by the department, which may not exceed the maximum
81	81	number of education hours required by an approved national testing
82	82	and certifying organization to ensure competency of emergency
83	83	medical services personnel.
84	84	SECTION 3. (a) Not later than January 1, 2014, the advisory
85	85	council appointed under Section 773.012, Health and Safety Code,
86	86	shall develop and provide to the commissioner of state health
87	87	services the proposed process for evaluating national testing and
88	88	certifying organizations to be approved by the department to
89	89	provide statewide certification examinations for emergency medical
90	90	services personnel as required by Section 773.012(m), Health and
91	91	Safety Code, as added by this Act.
92	92	(b) Not later than March 1, 2014, the commissioner of state
93	93	health services shall approve an evaluation process described by
94	94	Subsection (a) of this section as required by Section 773.012(o),
95	95	Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act.
96	96	(c) Not later than January 1, 2014, the commissioner of
97	97	state health services shall establish the standards for
98	98	recertification of emergency medical services personnel, as
99	99	required under Section 773.0541, Health and Safety Code, as added
100	100	by this Act.
101	101	(d) Not later than March 1, 2014, the executive commissioner
102	102	of the Health and Human Services Commission shall adopt rules
103	103	required to implement Section 773.0541, Health and Safety Code, as
104	104	added by this Act.
105	105	(e) The changes in law made by this Act apply only to an
106	106	emergency medical services personnel certification or
107	107	recertification application submitted on or after September 1,
108	108	2014. An application submitted before that date is governed by the
109	109	law in effect immediately before the effective date of this Act, and
110	110	that law is continued in effect for that purpose.
111	111	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
112	112	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
113	113	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
114	114	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
115	115	Act takes effect September 1, 2013.