1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to establishing a pilot program for state emergency 1-3 medical dispatch resource centers. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Chapter 771, Health and Safety Code, is amended by 1-6 adding Subchapter E to read as follows: 1-7 SUBCHAPTER E. STATE EMERGENCY MEDICAL DISPATCH RESOURCE CENTER 1-8 Sec. 771.101. ESTABLISHMENT OF PILOT PROGRAM. (a) The Texas 1-9 Department of Health, with the assistance of the advisory council 1-10 appointed under Section 773.012, shall establish a pilot program to 1-11 test the efficacy of using emergency medical dispatchers located in 1-12 a regional emergency medical dispatch resource center to provide 1-13 life-saving and other emergency medical instructions to persons who 1-14 need guidance while awaiting the arrival of emergency medical 1-15 personnel. The purpose of a regional emergency medical dispatch 1-16 resource center is not to dispatch personnel or equipment resources 1-17 but to serve as a resource to provide pre-arrival instructions that 1-18 may be accessed by selected public safety answering points that are 1-19 not adequately staffed or funded to provide those services. 1-20 (b) The commission shall provide technical assistance to the 1-21 department to facilitate the implementation of the pilot project. 1-22 (c) The department, with the cooperation of the advisory 1-23 council, shall: 1-24 (1) design criteria and protocols and provide 2-1 oversight as needed to conduct the pilot program; 2-2 (2) collect the necessary data to evaluate the outcome 2-3 of the pilot program; and 2-4 (3) report its findings to the legislature. 2-5 Sec. 771.102. PARTICIPATION IN PILOT PROGRAM. (a) The Texas 2-6 Department of Health shall determine which public safety answering 2-7 points are interested in participating in the pilot program. 2-8 (b) The department shall establish criteria for selecting 2-9 qualified public safety answering points to participate in the 2-10 pilot program. 2-11 (c) Participating public safety answering points must agree 2-12 to participate in any required training and to provide regular 2-13 reports required by the department for the pilot program. 2-14 Sec. 771.103. SELECTION OF REGIONAL EMERGENCY MEDICAL 2-15 DISPATCH RESOURCE CENTER. (a) The Texas Department of Health, with 2-16 the assistance of the advisory council, shall select one public 2-17 safety answering point to serve as the regional emergency medical 2-18 dispatch resource center. The public safety answering point 2-19 selected as the resource center for the pilot program must: 2-20 (1) have a fully functional quality assurance program 2-21 that measures each emergency medical dispatcher's compliance with 2-22 the medical protocol; 2-23 (2) have dispatch personnel who meet the requirements 2-24 for emergency medical dispatcher certification or the equivalent as 2-25 determined by the Texas Department of Health; 2-26 (3) use emergency medical dispatch protocols approved 2-27 by a physician medical director knowledgeable in emergency medical 3-1 dispatch; 3-2 (4) have sufficient experience in providing 3-3 pre-arrival instructions; and 3-4 (5) have sufficient resources to handle the additional 3-5 workload and responsibilities of the pilot program. 3-6 (b) In selecting an existing public safety answering point 3-7 to act as the resource center, the department and the advisory 3-8 council shall consider a public safety answering point's ability to 3-9 keep records and produce reports to measure the effectiveness of 3-10 the pilot program. 3-11 Sec. 771.104. CRITERIA FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL DISPATCH 3-12 INTERVENTION. The department and the advisory council shall define 3-13 criteria that establish the need for emergency medical dispatch 3-14 intervention to be used by participating public safety answering 3-15 points to determine which calls are to be transferred to the 3-16 regional emergency medical dispatch resource center for emergency 3-17 medical dispatch intervention. 3-18 Sec. 771.105. FUNDING OF PILOT PROGRAM. Money in the 9-1-1 3-19 services fee fund may be appropriated to the Texas Department of 3-20 Health to fund the pilot program. The department is also 3-21 authorized to seek grant funding for the pilot program. The 3-22 provisions in this subchapter that require the department to 3-23 establish, conduct, and evaluate the pilot program are contingent 3-24 on the department receiving funding in accordance with this 3-25 section. 3-26 Sec. 771.106. REPORT TO LEGISLATURE. The department shall 3-27 report its findings to the presiding officer of each house of the 4-1 legislature no later than December 1, 2002. 4-2 Sec. 771.107. LIABILITY. The operations of the regional 4-3 emergency medical dispatch resource center are considered to be the 4-4 provision of 9-1-1 services for purposes of Section 771.053. 4-5 Employees of and volunteers at the center have the same protection 4-6 from liability as a member of the governing body of a public agency 4-7 under Section 771.053. 4-8 Sec. 771.108. EXPIRATION. This subchapter expires September 4-9 1, 2003. 4-10 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001. _______________________________ _______________________________ President of the Senate Speaker of the House I certify that H.B. No. 3312 was passed by the House on May 1, 2001, by a non-record vote; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. No. 3312 on May 25, 2001, by a non-record vote. _______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House I certify that H.B. No. 3312 was passed by the Senate, with amendments, on May 21, 2001, by a viva-voce vote. _______________________________ Secretary of the Senate APPROVED: __________________________ Date __________________________ Governor