HB 7, Hse 2nd Rdg, Amnd #6

Amend CSHB 7 (house committee printing) by adding the following appropriately numbered SECTIONS to the bill and renumbering subsequent SECTIONS of the bill accordingly:

SECTION ____. Chapter 773, Health and Safety Code, is amended by adding Subchapter I to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER I. EMERGENCY MEDICAL AIR TRANSPORTATION FUNDING

Sec. 773.221. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:

(1) "Account" means the emergency medical air transportation account created under Section 773.222.

(2) "Commission" means the Health and Human Services Commission.

(3) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of state health services.

Sec. 773.222. EMERGENCY MEDICAL AIR TRANSPORTATION ACCOUNT. (a) The emergency medical air transportation account is established as a dedicated account in the general revenue fund. The account is composed of:

(1) money deposited to the credit of the account under Section 542.4031, Transportation Code; and

(2) notwithstanding Section 404.071, Government Code, interest earned on the investment of money in the account and depository interest allocable to the account.

(b) Money in the account may be appropriated only to the department for the purposes described by Subsection (c).

(1) use the money appropriated from the account to provide funding, in addition to funding available from other sources, for emergency medical air transportation; and

(2) after consulting with the executive commissioner, transfer the money appropriated from the account to the commission to:

(A) provide reimbursements under the medical assistance program under Chapter 32, Human Resources Code, to providers of emergency medical air transportation services, including reimbursement enhancements to the statewide dollar amount rate used to reimburse designated air ambulance services under the program; and

(B) maximize the receipt of federal funds under the medical assistance program under Chapter 32, Human Resources Code, to the extent possible.

SECTION 2. Section 542.4031(g), Transportation Code, is amended to read as follows:

(g) Of the money received by the comptroller under this section, the comptroller shall deposit:

(1) 50 [67] percent to the credit of the undedicated portion of the general revenue fund; [and]

(2) 33 percent to the credit of the designated trauma facility and emergency medical services account under Section 780.003, Health and Safety Code; and

(3) 17 percent to the credit of the designated emergency medical air transportation account under Section 773.222, Health and Safety Code.

SECTION 3. Section 542.4031(g), Transportation Code, as amended by this Act, applies only to the distribution of revenue collected on or after the effective date of this Act. The distribution of revenue collected before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect at the time the revenue was collected, and that law is continued in effect for the purpose of the distribution of that revenue.