H.B. 1141 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 1141 By: Riddle Law Enforcement Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, only physicians, qualified technicians, chemists, registered nurses, or licensed vocational nurses are authorized to draw a blood sample for a DWI investigation. This requires transporting the individual to a hospital, costing both time and money. House Bill 1141 permits certified emergency medical technician-intermediates and emergency medical technician-paramedics to draw blood at the scene of an accident. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 1141 amends Section 724.017, Transportation Code, to add a licensed or certified emergency medical technician-intermediate or emergency medical technician-paramedic to the list of personnel authorized to take a blood specimen at the request or order of a peace officer and removes chemist from the same list. The bill also adds language providing that the blood specimen must be taken according to recognized medical procedures in place of the language requiring the procedure to be done in a sanitary place. EFFECTIVE DATE Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2003.