SRC-VRA S.B. 1409 78(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 1409
78R6293 JRD-DBy: Deuell
Health & Human Services
4/1/2003
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

The 77th Texas Legislature approved a pilot program to test the efficacy
of using emergency medical dispatchers located in a regional dispatch
resource center to provide pre-arrival instructions to 911 callers in
certain parts of rural Texas.  As proposed, S.B. 1409 reintroduces this
pilot program and extends its expiration date. 

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 Section 771.105, Health and Safety Code, as follows:

 (a) and (b)  Created from existing text.

(c)  Authorizes a political subdivision that participates in a regional
emergency medical dispatch resource center pilot program to pay an
appropriate share of the cost of the pilot program. 

(d)  Requires the Texas Department of Health (TDH), if a sufficient number
of political subdivisions in a region that could be served by a pilot
program offer to pay TDH an amount that in the aggregate, together with
any other funding received under this section, is sufficient to fund the
pilot program for the region, to undertake certain tasks.  

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 771.108, Health and Safety Code, to provide
that this subchapter expires September 1, 2005, rather than 2003. 

SECTION 3.  Effective date:  upon passage or September 1, 2003.