HBA-MSH C.S.H.B. 3312 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 3312
By: Dunnam
Public Safety
4/6/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND 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.  C.S.H.B. 3312 creates a
pilot program to study the efficacy of providing pre-arrival instructions
to 9-1-1 callers. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3312 requires the Texas Department of Health (TDH) with the
assistance of the emergency medical services advisory council to establish
a pilot program to test the efficacy of using emergency medical dispatchers
located in a regional emergency medical dispatch resource center (center)
to provide life-saving and other emergency medical instructions to persons
who need guidance while awaiting the arrival of emergency medical
personnel.  The bill requires the Commission on State Emergency
Communications (commission) to provide technical assistance to TDH to
facilitate the implementation of the pilot program.  The bill requires TDH
to determine which public safety answering points are interested in
participating in the pilot program and select one public safety answering
point to serve as the center, and sets forth necessary qualifications for
serving as the center.  The bill authorizes the appropriation of money in
the 9-1-1 service fee fund to TDH to fund the pilot program.  The bill
requires TDH to report its findings to the presiding officer of each house
of the legislature no later than December 1, 2002.  The bill specifies that
the liability provisions for 9-1-1 services apply to a center.  The bill
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.  The bill provides that the pilot program expires September 1,
2003. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 3312 requires the Texas Department of Health (TDH) to create a
pilot program to test the efficacy of using emergency medical dispatchers
to provide emergency pre-arrival information whereas the original bill
required the Commission on State Emergency Communications and TDH to
establish one or more regional emergency medical dispatch resource centers
(center) to provide emergency pre-arrival information.  The substitute sets
forth provisions relating to participation in and the administration of the
pilot program and reporting of the results.  The substitute 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.