2025S0114-1 02/14/25
By: Perry S.B. No. 1377
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to a grant program to provide financial assistance to
qualified ambulance service providers in certain rural counties.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 130, Local Government
Code, is amended by adding Section 130.914 to read as follows:
Sec. 130.914. RURAL AMBULANCE SERVICE GRANT PROGRAM. (a)
In this section:
(1) "Grant program" means the rural ambulance service
grant program established by this section.
(2) "Qualified county" is a county that has a
population of 68,750 or less.
(3) "Qualified rural ambulance service provider"
means a private safety entity or public agency as those terms are
defined by Section 772.001, Health and Safety Code, licensed by the
Department of State Health Services to provide emergency medical
services and operating predominantly in a rural area.
(b) The comptroller shall establish and administer the
rural ambulance service grant program to support the state purpose
of ensuring adequate ground ambulance services by providing
financial assistance to qualified rural ambulance service
providers in qualified counties.
(c) Not later than the 30th day after the first day of a
qualified county's fiscal year, the county may submit a grant
application to the comptroller. A county may submit only one
application each fiscal year. If a county is awarded a grant under
this program, the county is ineligible to apply for an additional
grant.
(d) The comptroller may award a grant to a qualified county
using money appropriated to the comptroller for that purpose and
only in accordance with a contract between the comptroller and the
county that includes conditions providing the comptroller with
sufficient control to ensure the public purpose of providing
adequate ground ambulance services is accomplished. In awarding
grants, the comptroller shall consider:
(1) the distance from a qualified county's county seat
to the nearest Level I trauma facility; and
(2) the county's ability to otherwise obtain the money
necessary to provide adequate ground ambulance services.
(e) The comptroller may award a grant under this section
only in the following applicable amount:
(1) for a county with a population of less than 10,000,
an amount not to exceed $500,000; or
(2) for a county with a population between 10,000 and
68,750, an amount not to exceed $350,000.
(f) A qualified county awarded a grant under this section
may use or authorize the use of the grant money only to purchase
ambulances as provided by comptroller rule.
(g) A qualified county awarded a grant under this section
may not reduce the budget of the qualified rural ambulance service
provider for the county's next fiscal year following the fiscal
year of the grant award.
(h) The comptroller may disburse a grant award to a
qualified county before the county places an order for an
ambulance. The county shall purchase and take possession of an
ambulance with money awarded under the grant program not later than
the fifth anniversary of the date the county receives the money.
The comptroller shall adopt rules necessary to implement this
section, including rules to establish:
(1) a standardized application process, the form to
apply for a grant, and the manner of submitting the form;
(2) deadlines for:
(A) applying for a grant;
(B) disbursing grant money; and
(C) spending grant money;
(3) procedures for:
(A) monitoring the disbursement of grant money to
ensure compliance with this section; and
(B) requiring the return of grant money awarded
if a county fails to use the money for a purpose authorized by this
section; and
(4) the type of ground ambulance vehicles that may be
purchased with grant money.
SECTION 2. A qualified county, as defined by Section
130.914(a)(2), Local Government Code, as added by this Act, may
apply for a rural ambulance service grant on or after January 1,
2026.
SECTION 3. Not later than January 1, 2026, the comptroller
of public accounts shall establish and administer the rural
ambulance service grant program and adopt the rules necessary to
implement the program as required by Section 130.914, Local
Government Code, as added by this Act.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.