By: Zerwas, Darby, Kacal, Longoria, Price, H.B. No. 935
      et al.
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to emergency medical air transportation funding.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  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.
         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).
         (c)  The commissioner shall:
               (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 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.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect October
  1, 2017.