By: McReynolds, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Deuell) H.B. No. 1412

(In the Senate - Received from the House May 7, 2007; May 8, 2007, read first time and referred to Committee on Health and Human Services; May 11, 2007, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 11, 2007, sent to printer.)

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the regional emergency medical dispatch resource centers program.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 771.102, Health and Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 771.102. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL DISPATCH RESOURCE CENTERS [PILOT] PROGRAM. (a) The center, with the assistance of the advisory council appointed under Section 773.012, shall establish a [pilot] program to use [test the efficacy of using] emergency medical dispatchers located in [a] regional emergency medical dispatch resource centers [center] to provide life-saving and other emergency medical instructions to persons who need guidance while awaiting the arrival of emergency medical personnel. 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) The commission shall provide technical assistance to the center to facilitate the implementation of the [pilot] project.

(c) The center, with the assistance of the advisory council, shall:

(1) design criteria and protocols and provide oversight as needed to conduct the [pilot] program;

(2) collect the necessary data to evaluate [the outcome of] the [pilot] program; and

(3) report its findings to the legislature.

SECTION 2. Section 771.103, Health and Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 771.103. PARTICIPATION IN [PILOT] PROGRAM. (a) The center shall determine which public safety answering points are interested in participating in the [pilot] program.

(b) Participating public safety answering points must agree to participate in any required training and to provide regular reports required by the center for the [pilot] program.

SECTION 3. Section 771.104, Health and Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 771.104. SELECTION OF PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS AND REGIONAL EMERGENCY MEDICAL DISPATCH RESOURCE CENTERS. (a) The center, with the assistance of the advisory council, may select public safety answering points to participate in the [pilot] program or to serve as regional emergency medical dispatch resource centers. A public safety answering point may participate in the [pilot] program and serve as a regional emergency medical dispatch resource center. A public safety answering point selected for the [pilot] program or to serve as a resource center must:

(1) have a fully functional quality assurance program that measures each emergency medical dispatcher's compliance with the medical protocol;

(2) have dispatch personnel who meet the requirements for emergency medical dispatcher certification or the equivalent as determined by the Department of State Health Services;

(3) use emergency medical dispatch protocols approved by a physician medical director knowledgeable in emergency medical dispatch;

(4) have sufficient experience in providing pre-arrival instructions; and

(5) have sufficient resources to handle the additional workload and responsibilities of the [pilot] program.

(b) In selecting an existing public safety answering point to act as a resource center, the center shall consider a public safety answering point's ability to keep records and produce reports to measure the effectiveness of the [pilot] program. The center shall share information regarding a public safety answering point's abilities with the advisory council.

SECTION 4. Section 771.106, Health and Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 771.106. FUNDING OF [PILOT] PROGRAM. (a) Money in the 9-1-1 services fee fund and other state funds may be appropriated to The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston on behalf of the center to fund the [pilot] program.

(b) The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston on behalf of the center and the center are also authorized to seek grant funding for the [pilot] program.

(c) A political subdivision that participates in the [pilot] program may pay an appropriate share of the cost of the [pilot] program.

(d) The provisions in this subchapter that require the center to establish, conduct, and evaluate the [pilot] program are contingent on the center receiving funding in accordance with this section. If a sufficient number of political subdivisions in a region that could be served by a [pilot] program offer to pay the center 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, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, on behalf of the center:

(1) shall enter into contracts with the offering political subdivisions under which each will pay an appropriate share of the cost; and

(2) when the amount under the signed contracts, together with any other funding received under this section, is sufficient to fund the [pilot] program for the region, shall implement the [pilot] program for the region.

SECTION 5. Section 771.107, Health and Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 771.107. REPORT TO LEGISLATURE. The center shall biennially report its findings to the governor, the presiding officer of each house of the legislature, and the advisory council no later than January 1 of each odd-numbered year [through 2009].

SECTION 6. Section 771.109, Health and Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 771.109. WORK GROUP. (a) The center may appoint a [pilot] program work group to assist the center in developing, implementing, and evaluating the [pilot] program and preparing a report on the center's findings.

(b) A member of the work group receives no additional compensation for serving on the [pilot] program work group and may not be reimbursed for travel or other expenses incurred while conducting the business of the [pilot] program work group.

(c) The [pilot] program work group is not subject to Chapter 2110, Government Code.

SECTION 7. Section 771.110, Health and Safety Code, is repealed.

SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007.

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