BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 1397
	By: Hinojosa
	Health & Human Services
	3/26/2021
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

S.B. 1397 requires the Lower Rio Grande Valley Trauma Regional Advisory Council (RAC-V) to work with stakeholders to develop guidelines for patient transfers and create a centralized patient transfer system. Currently, the RAC utilizes numerous contracts with single ambulatory services that does not result in the most efficient or highest quality care for patients. With this system in place, emergency services will know what facilities have the capacity and providers available to best treat the patient.

As proposed, S.B. 1397 amends current law relating to establishing a coordinated system for the dispatch, triage, transport, and transfer of patients in certain trauma service area regional advisory councils, and provides rulemaking authority.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Department of State Health Services in SECTION 1 (Section 773.1141, Health and Safety Code) of this bill.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter E, Chapter 773, Health and Safety Code, by adding Section 773.1141, as follows:

Sec. 773.1141. INFORMATION AND GUIDELINES RELATED TO CERTAIN PATIENT TRANSFERS AND RELATED SERVICES. (a) Provides that this section applies only to a trauma service area regional advisory council (council) that includes at least one county located on the international border of Texas, and at least one county adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico.

(b) Requires the Department of State Health Services, for each trauma service area regional advisory council to which this section applies, by January 1, 2022, by rule to:

(1) require the council to create an advisory committee composed of equally represented designated trauma hospital members located within the geographic boundaries of the council to develop guidelines for patient transfers, and to periodically review patient transfers to ensure compliance with applicable guidelines;

(2) for the purpose of ensuring that patients located in the council's geographic boundaries receive health care at the closest and most appropriate health care facility, require the council to implement a centralized system to assist the council in the dispatch, triage, transport, and transfer of patients; and

(3) require each hospital and emergency services provider operating within the geographic boundaries of the council to collect and report to the council data on patients transferred outside the geographic boundaries of the council.

SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2021.