By Hilbert                                      H.B. No. 3156

      75R8095 BEM-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to criminal history checks for emergency medical service

 1-3     personnel.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 773.070, Health and Safety Code, is

 1-6     amended to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 773.070. [ACCESS TO CERTAIN] CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORD

 1-8     CHECK REQUIRED [INFORMATION].  (a) The department shall obtain

 1-9     criminal history record information under Section 411.110,

1-10     Government Code, for each applicant for licensure or certification

1-11     or renewal of licensure or certification under this chapter.

1-12           (b)  The department shall enter into an agreement with the

1-13     Department of Public Safety providing for expedited processing of

1-14     criminal history record checks under this section.

1-15           (c)  In addition to any fee for licensure or certification

1-16     under this chapter, each applicant for licensure or certification

1-17     or renewal of licensure or certification shall pay $5 to the

1-18     department to defray the cost of obtaining the applicant's criminal

1-19     history record information.

1-20           (d) [(e)]  The board may deny licensure or certification to

1-21     an applicant who does not provide a complete set of [the required]

1-22     fingerprints required for obtaining criminal history record

1-23     information.

1-24           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and

 2-1     applies only to an application for a license or certificate or an

 2-2     application to renew a license or certificate made on or after that

 2-3     date.  An application made before the effective date of this Act is

 2-4     governed by the law in effect at the time the application was made,

 2-5     and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

 2-6           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-7     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-8     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-9     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-10     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.