Bill Text: TX HB1816 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to the operation of medical supply transport vehicles during a declared state of disaster.
Sponsorship: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)
Status: (Passed) 2017-06-15 - Effective on 9/1/17 [HB1816 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HB1816-Enrolled.html
| H.B. No. 1816 | ||
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| relating to the operation of medical supply transport vehicles | ||
| during a declared state of disaster. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Chapter 546, Transportation Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Subchapter C to read as follows: | ||
| SUBCHAPTER C. OPERATION OF MEDICAL SUPPLY TRANSPORT VEHICLES | ||
| Sec. 546.051. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: | ||
| (1) "Emergency care facility" means a health care | ||
| facility, including a freestanding emergency medical care | ||
| facility, hospital, temporary emergency clinic, and trauma | ||
| facility, that provides emergency medical care. | ||
| (2) "Freestanding emergency medical care facility" | ||
| means a facility licensed under Chapter 254, Health and Safety | ||
| Code. | ||
| (3) "Medical supply distributor" means a person | ||
| authorized to transport prescription drugs and other medical | ||
| supplies to emergency care facilities or pharmacies. | ||
| (4) "Nursing home" means a facility licensed under | ||
| Chapter 242, Health and Safety Code. | ||
| (5) "Pharmacy" has the meaning assigned by Section | ||
| 551.003, Occupations Code. | ||
| (6) "Trauma facility" has the meaning assigned by | ||
| Section 773.003, Health and Safety Code. | ||
| Sec. 546.052. MEDICAL SUPPLY TRANSPORT VEHICLES DURING | ||
| DECLARED DISASTER. (a) A vehicle used by a medical supply | ||
| distributor to transport prescription drugs and other medical | ||
| supplies to an emergency care facility, pharmacy, or nursing home | ||
| located in an area declared a disaster area by the governor under | ||
| Chapter 418, Government Code, may have access to highways, streets, | ||
| and bridges as if the transport vehicle were an emergency vehicle if | ||
| the transport vehicle will not negatively impact evacuation | ||
| activities or any response or recovery activities in the disaster | ||
| area. | ||
| (b) The Texas Division of Emergency Management shall | ||
| establish procedures to assist medical supply distributors in | ||
| accessing highways, streets, and bridges as authorized by | ||
| Subsection (a). | ||
| (c) This section does not create a cause of action against a | ||
| law enforcement officer involved in assisting a medical supply | ||
| distributor under this section for any harm done to the distributor | ||
| resulting from that assistance. | ||
| SECTION 2. Not later than September 1, 2018, the Texas | ||
| Division of Emergency Management shall establish the procedures | ||
| required by Section 546.052(b), Transportation Code, as added by | ||
| this Act. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I certify that H.B. No. 1816 was passed by the House on May | ||
| 11, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 145, Nays 0, 1 present, not | ||
| voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. | ||
| No. 1816 on May 26, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 141, Nays 1, | ||
| 2 present, not voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| I certify that H.B. No. 1816 was passed by the Senate, with | ||
| amendments, on May 24, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays | ||
| 0. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| APPROVED: __________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| __________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
