| 1 | 1 | | 88R1274 SCL-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Birdwell S.B. No. 1898 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to emergency medical transport by fire fighters of certain |
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| 8 | 8 | | patients. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 773, Health and Safety |
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| 11 | 11 | | Code, is amended by adding Section 773.0043 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 773.0043. FIRE FIGHTER EXEMPTION FOR CERTAIN PATIENTS; |
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| 13 | 13 | | MEDICAL TREATMENT AND TRANSPORT PROTOCOLS. (a) In this section, |
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| 14 | 14 | | "fire fighter" means: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) an individual who is defined as fire protection |
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| 16 | 16 | | personnel under Section 419.021, Government Code; or |
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| 17 | 17 | | (2) an individual who is a volunteer fire fighter |
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| 18 | 18 | | certified by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection or the State |
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| 19 | 19 | | Firefighters' and Fire Marshals' Association of Texas. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (b) Notwithstanding Section 773.041, a fire fighter, |
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| 21 | 21 | | regardless of whether the fire fighter is licensed as an emergency |
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| 22 | 22 | | medical services provider, may transport a sick or injured patient |
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| 23 | 23 | | to a health care facility in a vehicle other than an emergency |
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| 24 | 24 | | medical services vehicle if: |
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| 25 | 25 | | (1) the appropriate emergency medical services |
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| 26 | 26 | | provider: |
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| 27 | 27 | | (A) is notified of the patient's clinical |
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| 28 | 28 | | condition; and |
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| 29 | 29 | | (B) is unable to provide emergency medical |
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| 30 | 30 | | services imminently at the patient's location; and |
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| 31 | 31 | | (2) the medical treatment and transport protocols for |
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| 32 | 32 | | the patient's apparent clinical condition authorize transport of |
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| 33 | 33 | | the patient in a vehicle other than an emergency medical services |
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| 34 | 34 | | vehicle. |
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| 35 | 35 | | (c) Each emergency medical services and trauma care system |
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| 36 | 36 | | shall develop the medical treatment and transport protocols |
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| 37 | 37 | | necessary to implement this section for the area covered by the |
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| 38 | 38 | | system and provide notice of the protocols to the emergency medical |
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| 39 | 39 | | services providers and fire fighters in that area. |
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| 40 | 40 | | SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2024, each emergency |
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| 41 | 41 | | medical services and trauma care system shall develop medical |
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| 42 | 42 | | treatment and transport protocols necessary to implement Section |
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| 43 | 43 | | 773.0043, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act, and provide |
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| 44 | 44 | | notice of the protocols to the emergency medical services providers |
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| 45 | 45 | | and fire fighters in the area. |
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| 46 | 46 | | SECTION 3. Section 773.0043, Health and Safety Code, as |
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| 47 | 47 | | added by this Act, applies only to transportation provided on or |
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| 48 | 48 | | after January 1, 2024. |
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| 49 | 49 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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