By: Sheffield, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Seliger) H.B. No. 1407
(In the Senate - Received from the House May 5, 2017;
May 5, 2017, read first time and referred to Committee on Health &
Human Services; May 17, 2017, reported adversely, with favorable
Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 2;
May 17, 2017, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 1407 By: Buckingham
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the establishment of the emergency medical services
assistance program.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 773, Health and Safety Code, is amended
by adding Subchapter I to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER I. EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Sec. 773.251. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
(1) "Educational curriculum" means a
distance-learning emergency medical services curriculum that
provides remote courses of instruction and training to emergency
medical services personnel who serve a rural area.
(2) "General academic teaching institution" and
"public technical institute" have the meanings assigned by Section
61.003, Education Code.
(3) "Program" means the emergency medical services
assistance program established under this subchapter.
Sec. 773.252. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM. (a) The
department shall establish the emergency medical services
assistance program to provide financial and educational assistance
to eligible emergency medical services providers.
(b) The program includes grants to eligible emergency
medical services providers and an educational curriculum to provide
training to rural emergency medical services personnel.
Sec. 773.253. RULES. (a) The executive commissioner shall
adopt rules necessary to implement this subchapter, including rules
for:
(1) determining eligibility under the program;
(2) establishing requirements for the educational
curriculum; and
(3) establishing requirements for a general academic
teaching institution or public technical institute that develops
and offers the educational curriculum.
(b) The rules must require that:
(1) an emergency medical services provider
demonstrate financial need to be eligible for assistance under the
program;
(2) a general academic teaching institution or public
technical institute applying to offer the educational curriculum
demonstrate the qualifications necessary to develop and offer the
educational curriculum; and
(3) the educational curriculum provide to rural
emergency medical services personnel the remote instructional
courses and training necessary for the personnel to achieve
department certification under Subchapter C.
Sec. 773.254. APPLICATION BY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES
PROVIDER. (a) An emergency medical services provider may apply to
the department in the form and manner provided by department rule to
receive assistance under the program.
(b) If the department determines an applicant is eligible
for assistance under the program, the department may provide a
grant under Section 773.257 to the applicant.
Sec. 773.255. EDUCATIONAL CURRICULUM. (a) A general
academic teaching institution or public technical institute may
apply to the department in the form and manner provided by
department rule to develop and offer the educational curriculum
under this subchapter.
(b) The department may contract with not more than three
qualified general academic teaching institutions or public
technical institutes to develop and offer the educational
curriculum under this subchapter.
Sec. 773.256. ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT. The department may
provide administrative support to the program.
Sec. 773.257. GRANTS. (a) The commissioner may use money
from the permanent fund for emergency medical services and trauma
care established under Section 403.106, Government Code, to provide
grants, in addition to funding available from other sources, to
emergency medical services providers applying for assistance under
the program or to provide funding to a general academic teaching
institution or public technical institute offering the educational
curriculum under this subchapter.
(b) The commissioner shall ensure that at least 60 percent
of the grants provided under this section are provided to emergency
medical services providers that serve a rural area.
(c) The executive commissioner by rule shall establish a
procedure for the Governor's EMS and Trauma Advisory Council to
establish priorities for issuance of grants under this section.
(d) The department shall distribute grants under this
section in accordance with the requirements of Subsection (b) and
the grant priorities established under Subsection (c).
SECTION 2. Notwithstanding another provision of this Act,
the Department of State Health Services is required to implement
this Act only if the legislature appropriates money specifically
for that purpose. If the legislature does not appropriate money
specifically for that purpose, the Department of State Health
Services may, but is not required to, implement this Act using other
appropriations available for that purpose.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
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