Bill Text: TX SB1898 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to emergency medical transport by fire fighters of certain patients.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-03-20 - Referred to Health & Human Services [SB1898 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-SB1898-Introduced.html
88R1274 SCL-D | ||
By: Birdwell | S.B. No. 1898 |
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relating to emergency medical transport by fire fighters of certain | ||
patients. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 773, Health and Safety | ||
Code, is amended by adding Section 773.0043 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 773.0043. FIRE FIGHTER EXEMPTION FOR CERTAIN PATIENTS; | ||
MEDICAL TREATMENT AND TRANSPORT PROTOCOLS. (a) In this section, | ||
"fire fighter" means: | ||
(1) an individual who is defined as fire protection | ||
personnel under Section 419.021, Government Code; or | ||
(2) an individual who is a volunteer fire fighter | ||
certified by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection or the State | ||
Firefighters' and Fire Marshals' Association of Texas. | ||
(b) Notwithstanding Section 773.041, a fire fighter, | ||
regardless of whether the fire fighter is licensed as an emergency | ||
medical services provider, may transport a sick or injured patient | ||
to a health care facility in a vehicle other than an emergency | ||
medical services vehicle if: | ||
(1) the appropriate emergency medical services | ||
provider: | ||
(A) is notified of the patient's clinical | ||
condition; and | ||
(B) is unable to provide emergency medical | ||
services imminently at the patient's location; and | ||
(2) the medical treatment and transport protocols for | ||
the patient's apparent clinical condition authorize transport of | ||
the patient in a vehicle other than an emergency medical services | ||
vehicle. | ||
(c) Each emergency medical services and trauma care system | ||
shall develop the medical treatment and transport protocols | ||
necessary to implement this section for the area covered by the | ||
system and provide notice of the protocols to the emergency medical | ||
services providers and fire fighters in that area. | ||
SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2024, each emergency | ||
medical services and trauma care system shall develop medical | ||
treatment and transport protocols necessary to implement Section | ||
773.0043, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act, and provide | ||
notice of the protocols to the emergency medical services providers | ||
and fire fighters in the area. | ||
SECTION 3. Section 773.0043, Health and Safety Code, as | ||
added by this Act, applies only to transportation provided on or | ||
after January 1, 2024. | ||
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |