BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3582

By: Guerra

Public Health

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There are concerns that many trauma service area regional advisory councils do not have adequate resources to develop and establish a centralized system to coordinate the triage, transport, and transfer of patients, which has resulted in patients being transferred to hospitals far from their homes and sometimes unnecessarily transported to hospitals in other trauma service areas. It has been suggested that improving the system will result in better patient care. H.B. 3582 seeks to address these concerns and increase efficiencies by providing for the development of a centralized system for the dispatch, triage, transport, and transfer of patients to ensure coordinated patient transports and transfers, the efficient utilization of trauma care and emergency medical services.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 3582 amends the Health and Safety Code to expand the eligibility criteria for awarding grants to initiate, expand, maintain, and improve emergency medical services and to support medical systems and facilities that provide trauma care by requiring the rules establishing such criteria to require the Department of State Health Services to consider the development of a centralized system for the dispatch, triage, transport, and transfer of patients, including the use or acquisition of technology, to ensure coordinated patient transports and transfers, the efficient utilization of trauma care and emergency medical services.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2021.