BILL ANALYSIS
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Senate Research Center |
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AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
The regional emergency medical dispatch resource centers program was established to provide life-saving and other emergency medical instructions to persons who need guidance while awaiting the arrival of emergency medical personnel. Concerned parties indicate that there is a need to clarify the program's source of funding.
H.B. 479 amends the Health and Safety Code to transfer the administration of the regional emergency medical dispatch resource centers program from the area health education center at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston to the Commission on State Emergency Communications (CSEC). The bill transfers to CSEC all unspent and unobligated funds appropriated by the legislature to The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston on behalf of the center to fund the program and authorizes CSEC, with the agreement of the center, to accept the transfer of any records, employees, or real or personal property of the center relating to the operation of the program.
H.B. 479 amends current law relating to transfer of the regional emergency medical dispatch resource centers program to the Commission on State Emergency Communications.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Sections 771.102(a) and (c), Health and Safety Code, as follows:
(a) Requires the Commission on State Emergency Communications (CSEC), with the assistance of the advisory council appointed under Section 773.012 (Advisory Council), to administer the regional emergency medical dispatch resource centers program (program) in which emergency medical dispatchers located in regional emergency medical dispatch resource centers are used to provide life-saving and other emergency medical instructions to persons who need guidance while awaiting the arrival of emergency medical personnel, rather than requires the area health education center at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (center), with the assistance of the advisory council appointed under Section 773.012, to establish a program to use emergency medical dispatchers located in regional emergency medical dispatch resource centers to provide such medical instructions to persons who need guidance while awaiting the arrival of emergency medical personnel.
(c) Makes a conforming change.
SECTION 2. Amends Sections 771.103, 771.104, and 771.105, Health and Safety Code, as follows:
Sec. 771.103. PARTICIPATION IN PROGRAM. (a) Requires CSEC, rather than the center, to determine which public safety answering points are interested in participating in the program.
(b) Makes a conforming change.
Sec. 771.104. SELECTION OF PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS AND REGIONAL EMERGENCY MEDICAL DISPATCH RESOURCE CENTERS. (a) Authorizes CSEC, rather than the center, with the assistance of the advisory council, to select public safety answering points to participate in the program or to serve as regional emergency medical dispatch resource centers. Makes no further change to this subsection.
(b) Makes conforming changes.
Sec. 771.105. CRITERIA FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL DISPATCH INTERVENTION. Requires CSEC, rather than the center, with the assistance of the advisory council, to define criteria that establish the need for emergency medical dispatch intervention to be used by participating public safety answering points to determine which calls are to be transferred to the regional emergency medical dispatch resource center for emergency medical dispatch intervention.
SECTION 3. Amends Sections 771.106(a), (b), and (d), Health and Safety Code, as follows:
(a) Authorizes state funds to be appropriated to CSEC to fund the program, rather than authorizes money in the 9-1-1- services fee fund and other state funds to be appropriated to The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston on behalf of the center to fund the program.
(b) Authorizes CSEC to seek grant funding for the program, rather than provides that 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 program.
(d) Provides that the provisions in this subchapter that require CSEC to conduct and evaluate the program are contingent on CSEC receiving funding in accordance with this section, rather than provides that the provisions in this subchapter that require the center to establish, conduct, and evaluate the program are contingent on the center receiving funding in accordance with this section. Makes conforming changes.
SECTION 4. Amends Section 771.107, Health and Safety Code, as follows:
Sec. 771.107. REPORT TO LEGISLATURE. Requires CSEC, rather than the center, to 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.
SECTION 5. Amends Section 771.109(a), Health and Safety Code, to authorize CSEC to appoint a program work group to assist CSEC in implementing and evaluating the program and preparing a report on CSEC’s findings, rather than to authorize the center to appoint a program work group to assist the center in developing, implementing, and evaluating the program and preparing a report on the center’s findings.
SECTION 6. Repealers: Sections 771.101 (Definition) and 771.102(b) (requiring CSEC to provide technical assistance to the center to facilitate the implementation of the project), Health and Safety Code.
SECTION 7. (a) Defines “center” and “program.”
(b) Provides that, on the effective date of this Act, the administration of the program is transferred from the center to CSEC and all unspent and unobligated funds appropriated by the legislature to The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston on behalf of the center to fund the program are transferred to CSEC.
(c) Authorizes CSEC with the agreement of the center to accept the transfer of any records, employees, or real or personal property of the center relating to the operation of the program.
SECTION 8. Effective date: September 1, 2015.