BILL ANALYSIS |
C.S.H.B. 567 |
By: Smith |
Transportation |
Committee Report (Substituted) |
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Currently, in Transportation Code provisions relating to the rules of the road, an "authorized emergency vehicle" includes public and private ambulances operated by a licensed person. However, emergency services providers are increasingly using vehicles that are not ambulances for first response to medical emergencies, particularly when a regular ambulance is not immediately available or when additional emergency personnel are necessary. Since these vehicles are not included within the statutory definition of an "authorized emergency vehicle," they must comply with certain traffic laws and parking restrictions when responding to an emergency call and cannot operate with certain emergency lighting and sound equipment.
C.S.H.B. 567 seeks to address this issue by including these emergency medical services vehicles that are not ambulances in the definition of "authorized emergency vehicle."
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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.
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ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 567 amends Transportation Code provisions relating to the rules of the road to redefine "authorized emergency vehicle" by including in the definition an emergency medical services vehicle authorized under an emergency medical services provider license issued by the Department of State Health Services under the Emergency Health Care Act and operating under a contract with an emergency services district that requires the emergency medical services provider to respond to emergency calls with the vehicle.
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EFFECTIVE DATE
On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2013.
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COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE
While C.S.H.B. 567 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following comparison is organized and highlighted in a manner that indicates the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.
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