TO: | Honorable Garnet Coleman, Chair, House Committee on County Affairs |
FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
IN RE: | HB4532 by Chavez (Relating to reports regarding the provision of emergency ground ambulance services in counties.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted |
The bill would require each county to assess the emergency ground ambulance services provided in that county from all sources that respond to 9-1-1 or other emergencies. The executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) in consultation with the commissioner of the Department of State Health Services would be required to adopt rules governing the self-assessment not later than January 1, 2010.
Under provisions of the bill, a county or municipality would be authorized to establish reporting standards for emergency ground ambulance services that are more strict than those adopted by HHSC. The bill would also allow a county to adopt an order to require all emergency service providers that respond to 9-1-1 calls to submit information to the county to enable the county to comply with reporting requirements defined in the provisions of the bill.
A county, municipality, or other entity would be authorized to operate an emergency ground ambulance services that is operated in accordance with federal laws, state laws, and other state and local rules.
Not later than March 1 of each year, starting March 1, 2011, a county would be required to publish a report on the availability of emergency ground ambulance services within the county for the preceding year and to make the report available on the county's Internet website. If the county does not have a website, it would be required to annually publish the report in a newspaper of general circulation in the county.
Source Agencies: |
LBB Staff: | JOB, SZ, DB, TP
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