Bill Text: TX HB3430 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating to the requirements and protocols for the use of nighttime triage equipment by emergency medical services personnel.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-03-20 - Referred to Public Health [HB3430 Detail]

Download: Texas-2013-HB3430-Introduced.html

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83R12082 SCL-F
By: Cortez H.B. No. 3430

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the requirements and protocols for the use of nighttime
triage equipment by emergency medical services personnel.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 773.003, Health and Safety Code, is
amended by adding Subdivision (18-a) to read as follows:
(18-a) "Nighttime triage equipment" means a
multicolored illuminated tag with blue, green, red, and yellow
lights that is reusable, water resistant to 30 feet, and able to
provide a flashing and a solid light.
SECTION 2. Section 773.112(c), Health and Safety Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(c) The rules must include:
(1) prehospital care management guidelines for triage
and transportation of trauma patients;
(2) flow patterns of trauma patients and geographic
boundaries regarding trauma patients;
(3) assurances that trauma facilities will provide
quality care to trauma patients referred to the facilities;
(4) minimum requirements for resources and equipment
needed by a trauma facility to treat trauma patients;
(5) standards for the availability and qualifications
of the health care personnel, including physicians and surgeons,
treating trauma patients within a facility;
(6) requirements for data collection, including
trauma incidence reporting, system operation, and patient outcome;
(7) requirements for periodic performance evaluation
of the system and its components; [and]
(8) assurances that designated trauma facilities will
not refuse to accept the transfer of a trauma patient from another
facility solely because of the person's inability to pay for
services or because of the person's age, sex, race, religion, or
national origin; and
(9) minimum requirements for resources and equipment
used by emergency medical services personnel to treat patients at
night and during adverse conditions using nighttime triage
equipment.
SECTION 3. Section 773.114(a), Health and Safety Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(a) Each emergency medical services and trauma care system
must have:
(1) local or regional medical control for all field
care and transportation, consistent with geographic and current
communications capability;
(2) triage, transport, and transfer protocols,
including protocols for the use of nighttime triage equipment at
night and during adverse conditions; and
(3) one or more hospitals categorized according to
trauma care capabilities using standards adopted by board rule.
SECTION 4. (a) The executive commissioner of the Health
and Human Services Commission shall adopt rules necessary to
implement Section 773.112(c), Health and Safety Code, as amended by
this Act, not later than December 1, 2013.
(b) An emergency medical services and trauma care system is
not required to have the nighttime triage equipment protocols
required under Section 773.114(a)(2), Health and Safety Code, as
amended by this Act, until January 1, 2014.
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.