SRC-SEW H.B. 3312 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   H.B. 3312
77R11199 JRD-FBy: Dunnam (Moncrief)
Intergovernmental Relations
5/7/2001
Engrossed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Under current law, a 9-1-1 system must be capable of transmitting requests
for fire-fighting, law enforcement, ambulance, and medical services to the
proper public safety agency that provides the requested service. In many
cases, the staff of a 9-1-1 center is able to provide direction and advice
over the phone during an emergency before emergency services arrive on the
scene of the emergency. However, some 9-1-1 centers do not have personnel
trained in providing pre-arrival instructions. H.B. 3312 creates a pilot
program to study the efficacy of providing pre-arrival instructions to
9-1-1 callers.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a
state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Chapter 771, Health and Safety Code, by adding
Subchapter E, as follows: 

SUBCHAPTER E.  STATE EMERGENCY MEDICAL DISPATCH RESOURCE CENTER

Sec. 771.101.  ESTABLISHMENT OF PILOT PROGRAM. (a) Requires the Texas
Department of Health (department), with the assistance of the advisory
council appointed under Section 773.012, to establish a pilot program to
test the efficacy of using emergency medical dispatchers located in a
regional emergency medical dispatch resource center to provide life-saving
and other emergency medical instructions to persons who need guidance while
awaiting the arrival of emergency medical personnel.  Provides that 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)  Requires the commission to provide technical assistance to the
department to facilitate the implementation of the pilot project. 

(c)  Requires the department, with the cooperation of the advisory council,
to perform certain functions.   
  
Sec. 771.102.  PARTICIPATION IN PILOT PROGRAM. (a) Requires the Texas
Department of Health to determine which public safety answering points are
interested in participating in the pilot program.  Requires the department
to establish criteria for selecting qualified public safety answering
points to participate in the pilot program.  Requires participating public
safety answering points to 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. Requires the Texas Department of Health, with the assistance of the
advisory council, to select one public safety answering point to serve as
the regional emergency medical dispatch resource center.  Sets forth
requirements for the public safety answering point selected as the resource
center for the pilot program.  Requires the department and the advisory
council, in selecting an existing public safety answering point to act as
the resource center, to 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.
Requires the department and the advisory council to 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.  Authorizes money in the 9-1-1
services fee fund to be appropriated to the Texas Department of Health to
fund the pilot program. 

Sec. 771.106.  REPORT TO LEGISLATURE.  Requires the department to report
its findings to the presiding officer of each house of the legislature no
later than December 1, 2002. 

Sec. 771.107.  LIABILITY.  Provides that 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.  Provides that
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.  Provides that this subchapter expires
September 1, 2003. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date:  September 1, 2001.