BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3337

By: Gonzales, Veronica

Public Health

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Although hospitals are able to secure a lien against a patient for amounts owed as a result of services provided in connection with an injury from an accident, emergency medical services providers have this ability only in counties with a population of 575,000 or less.   C.S.H.B. 3337 seeks to extend this tool for emergency medical services providers to obtain reimbursement for the services they provide by increasing this population limit to 800,000 or less.

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

C.S.H.B. 3337 amends the Property Code, in a provision establishing that an emergency medical services provider has a lien on a cause of action or claim of an individual who receives emergency medical services in certain counties for injuries caused by an accident that is attributed to the negligence of another person, to apply the provision to a county with a population of 800,000 or less, rather than 575,000 or less.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2011.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 3337 differs from the original by increasing the population limit of a county to which the provision of law relating to an emergency medical services lien applies from 575,000 or less to 800,000 or less, whereas the original removes the county population limit.

C.S.H.B. 3337 omits a saving provision included in the original.