By: Martinez, Springer, Guillen H.B. No. 2020
(Senate Sponsor - Campbell)
(In the Senate - Received from the House May 18, 2015;
May 19, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on
Administration; May 24, 2015, reported favorably by the following
vote: Yeas 4, Nays 0; May 24, 2015, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
COMMITTEE VOTE
YeaNayAbsentPNV
HancockX
UrestiX
CampbellX
EltifeX
HuffinesX
SchwertnerX
WestX
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the scope of duties of an emergency medical
technician-paramedic and a licensed paramedic.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 773, Health and Safety
Code, is amended by adding Section 773.0496 to read as follows:
Sec. 773.0496. SCOPE OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL
TECHNICIAN-PARAMEDIC AND LICENSED PARAMEDIC DUTIES. (a) In this
section:
(1) "Advanced life support" means health care provided
to sustain life in an emergency, life-threatening situation. The
term includes the initiation of intravenous therapy, endotracheal
or esophageal intubation, electrical cardiac defibrillation or
cardioversion, and drug therapy procedures.
(2) "Direct supervision" means supervision of an
emergency medical technician-paramedic or licensed paramedic by a
licensed physician who is present in the same area or an area
adjacent to the area where an emergency medical
technician-paramedic or licensed paramedic performs a procedure
and who is immediately available to provide assistance and
direction during the performance of the procedure.
(b) Notwithstanding other law, a person who is certified
under this chapter as an emergency medical technician-paramedic or
a licensed paramedic, is acting under the delegation and direct
supervision of a licensed physician, and is authorized to provide
advanced life support by a health care facility may in accordance
with department rules provide advanced life support in the
facility's emergency or urgent care clinical setting, including a
hospital emergency room and a freestanding emergency medical care
facility.
SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date
of this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human
Services Commission shall adopt any rules necessary to implement
Section 773.0496, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act.
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, 2015.
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