Bill Text: TX HB1407 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Engrossed

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of the emergency medical services assistance program.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 6-2)

Status: (Passed) 2017-06-15 - Effective on 9/1/17 [HB1407 Detail]

Download: Texas-2017-HB1407-Engrossed.html

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85R11335 SCL-F
By: Sheffield, Paddie, Darby, Price, Bernal, H.B. No. 1407
et al.

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) "Postsecondary educational institution" means any
institution, public or private, which provides courses of
instruction beyond that offered in secondary schools.
(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 postsecondary
educational institution 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 postsecondary educational institution 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 postsecondary
educational institution 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 postsecondary educational institutions 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 postsecondary educational
institution 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. Section 542.4031, Transportation Code, is
amended by amending Subsections (g) and (h) and adding Subsection
(h-1) to read as follows:
(g) Of the money received by the comptroller under this
section, the comptroller shall deposit:
(1) 63.67 [67] percent to the credit of the
undedicated portion of the general revenue fund; [and]
(2) 33 percent to the credit of the designated trauma
facility and emergency medical services account under Section
780.003, Health and Safety Code; and
(3) 3.33 percent to the credit of the permanent fund
for emergency medical services and trauma care under Section
403.106, Government Code.
(h) Notwithstanding Subsection (g)(1), in any state fiscal
year the comptroller shall deposit 63.67 [67] percent of the money
received under Subsection (e)(2) to the credit of the general
revenue fund only until the total amount of the money deposited to
the credit of the general revenue fund under Subsection (g)(1) and
Section 780.002(b), Health and Safety Code, equals $250 million for
that year. If in any state fiscal year the amount received by the
comptroller under those laws for deposit to the credit of the
general revenue fund exceeds $250 million, the comptroller shall
deposit the additional amount to the credit of the Texas mobility
fund.
(h-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (g)(3), if in any state
fiscal year the amount received by the comptroller under that
subsection for deposit to the credit of the permanent fund for
emergency medical services and trauma care exceeds $3 million, the
comptroller shall deposit the additional amount to the credit of
the general revenue fund.
SECTION 3. Section 542.4031, Transportation Code, as
amended by this Act, applies only to the distribution of revenue
collected on or after the effective date of this Act. The
distribution of revenue collected before the effective date of this
Act is governed by the law in effect at the time the revenue was
collected, and that law is continued in effect for the purpose of
the distribution of that revenue.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.