Amend CSHB 2446 by adding the following appropriately
numbered SECTION to the bill and renumbering subsequent SECTIONS of
the bill appropriately:
      SECTION __. Chapter 771, Health and Safety Code, is amended
by adding Subchapter E to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER E.  STATE EMERGENCY MEDICAL DISPATCH RESOURCE CENTER
      Sec. 771.101.  ESTABLISHMENT OF PILOT PROGRAM. (a)  The Texas
Department of Health, with the assistance of the advisory council
appointed under Section 773.012, shall establish a pilot program to
test the efficacy of using emergency medical dispatchers located in
a regional emergency medical dispatch resource center to provide
lifesaving and other emergency medical instructions to persons who
need guidance while awaiting the arrival of emergency medical
personnel.  The purpose of a regional emergency medical dispatch
resource center is not to dispatch personnel or equipment resources
but to serve as a resource to provide pre-arrival instructions that
may be accessed by selected public safety answering points that are
not adequately staffed or funded to provide those services.
      (b)  The commission shall provide technical assistance to the
department to facilitate the implementation of the pilot program.
      (c)  The department, with the cooperation of the advisory
council, shall:
            (1)  design criteria and protocols and provide
oversight as needed to conduct the pilot program;
            (2)  collect the necessary data to evaluate the outcome
of the pilot program; and
            (3)  report its findings to the legislature.
      Sec. 771.102.  PARTICIPATION IN PILOT PROGRAM. (a)  The Texas
Department of Health shall determine which public safety answering
points are interested in participating in the pilot program.
      (b)  The department shall establish criteria for selecting
qualified public safety answering points to participate in the
pilot program.
      (c)  Participating public safety answering points must agree
to participate in any required training and to provide regular
reports required by the department for the pilot program.
      Sec. 771.103.  SELECTION OF REGIONAL EMERGENCY MEDICAL
DISPATCH RESOURCE CENTER. (a)  The Texas Department of Health, with
the assistance of the advisory council, shall select one public
safety answering point to serve as the regional emergency medical
dispatch resource center.  The public safety answering point
selected as the resource center for the pilot program must:
            (1)  have a fully functional quality assurance program
that measures each emergency medical dispatcher's compliance with
the medical protocol;
            (2)  have dispatch personnel who meet the requirements
for emergency medical dispatcher certification or the equivalent as
determined by the Texas Department of Health;
            (3)  use emergency medical dispatch protocols approved
by a physician medical director knowledgeable in emergency medical
dispatch;
            (4)  have sufficient experience in providing
pre-arrival instructions; and
            (5)  have sufficient resources to handle the additional
workload and responsibilities of the pilot program.
      (b)  In selecting an existing public safety answering point
to act as the resource center, the department and the advisory
council shall consider a public safety answering point's ability to
keep records and produce reports to measure the effectiveness of
the pilot program.
      Sec. 771.104.  CRITERIA FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL DISPATCH
INTERVENTION. The department and the advisory council shall define
criteria that establish the need for emergency medical dispatch
intervention to be used by participating public safety answering
points to determine which calls are to be transferred to the
regional emergency medical dispatch resource center for emergency
medical dispatch intervention.
      Sec. 771.105.  FUNDING OF PILOT PROGRAM.  Money in the 9-1-1
services fee fund may be appropriated to the Texas Department of
Health to fund the pilot program.
      Sec. 771.106.  REPORT TO LEGISLATURE. The department shall
report its findings to the presiding officer of each house of the
legislature no later than December 1, 2002.
      Sec. 771.107.  LIABILITY. The operations of the regional
emergency medical dispatch resource center are considered to be the
provision of 9-1-1 services for purposes of Section 771.053.
Employees of and volunteers at the center have the same protection
from liability as a member of the governing body of a public agency
under Section 771.053.
      Sec. 771.108.  EXPIRATION.  This subchapter expires September
1, 2003.