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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to emergency medical air transportation funding. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 773, Health and Safety Code, is amended |
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by adding Subchapter I to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER I. EMERGENCY MEDICAL AIR TRANSPORTATION FUNDING |
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Sec. 773.221. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
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(1) "Account" means the emergency medical air |
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transportation account created under Section 773.222. |
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(2) "Commission" means the Health and Human Services |
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Commission. |
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(3) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of state |
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health services. |
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Sec. 773.222. EMERGENCY MEDICAL AIR TRANSPORTATION |
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ACCOUNT. (a) The emergency medical air transportation account is |
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established as a dedicated account in the general revenue fund. The |
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account is composed of: |
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(1) money deposited to the credit of the account under |
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Section 542.4031, Transportation Code; and |
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(2) notwithstanding Section 404.071, Government Code, |
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interest earned on the investment of money in the account and |
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depository interest allocable to the account. |
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(b) Money in the account may be appropriated only to the |
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department for the purposes described by Subsection (c). |
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(c) The commissioner may: |
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(1) use the money appropriated from the account to |
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fund emergency medical air transportation; and |
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(2) after consulting with the executive commissioner, |
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transfer the money appropriated from the account to the commission |
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to: |
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(A) provide reimbursements under the medical |
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assistance program under Chapter 32, Human Resources Code, to |
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providers of emergency medical air transportation services, |
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including reimbursement enhancements to the statewide dollar |
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amount rate used to reimburse designated air ambulance services |
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under the program; and |
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(B) maximize the receipt of federal funds under |
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the medical assistance program under Chapter 32, Human Resources |
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Code. |
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SECTION 2. Section 542.4031(g), Transportation Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(g) Of the money received by the comptroller under this |
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section, the comptroller shall deposit: |
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(1) 67 percent to the credit of the undedicated |
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portion of the general revenue fund; [and] |
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(2) 16.5 [33] percent to the credit of the designated |
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trauma facility and emergency medical services account under |
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Section 780.003, Health and Safety Code; and |
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(3) 16.5 percent to the credit of the designated |
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emergency medical air transportation account under Section |
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773.222, Health and Safety Code. |
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SECTION 3. Section 542.4031(g), Transportation Code, as |
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amended by this Act, applies only to the distribution of revenue |
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collected on or after the effective date of this Act. The |
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distribution of revenue collected before the effective date of this |
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Act is governed by the law in effect at the time the revenue was |
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collected, and that law is continued in effect for the purpose of |
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the distribution of that revenue. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |