H.B. No. 1407

AN ACT

relating to the establishment of the emergency medical services assistance program.

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 SERVICES ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

Sec. 773.251. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:

(1) "Educational curriculum" means a distance-learning emergency medical services curriculum that provides remote courses of instruction and training to emergency medical services personnel who serve a rural area.

(2) "General academic teaching institution," "medical and dental unit," "other agency of higher education," and "public technical institute" have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003, Education Code.

(3) "Program" means the emergency medical services assistance program established under this subchapter.

Sec. 773.252. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM. (a) The department shall establish the emergency medical services assistance program to provide financial and educational assistance to eligible emergency medical services providers.

(b) The program includes grants to eligible emergency medical services providers and an educational curriculum to provide training to rural emergency medical services personnel.

Sec. 773.253. RULES. (a) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules necessary to implement this subchapter, including rules for:

(1) determining eligibility under the program;

(2) establishing requirements for the educational curriculum; and

(3) establishing requirements for a general academic teaching institution, medical and dental unit, other agency of higher education, or public technical institute that develops and offers the educational curriculum.

(b) The rules must require that:

(1) an emergency medical services provider demonstrate financial need to be eligible for assistance under the program;

(2) a general academic teaching institution, medical and dental unit, other agency of higher education, or public technical institute applying to offer the educational curriculum demonstrate the qualifications necessary to develop and offer the educational curriculum; and

(3) the educational curriculum provide to rural emergency medical services personnel the remote instructional courses and training necessary for the personnel to achieve department certification under Subchapter C.

Sec. 773.254. APPLICATION BY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PROVIDER. (a) An emergency medical services provider may apply to the department in the form and manner provided by department rule to receive assistance under the program.

(b) If the department determines an applicant is eligible for assistance under the program, the department may provide a grant under Section 773.257 to the applicant.

Sec. 773.255. EDUCATIONAL CURRICULUM. (a) A general academic teaching institution, medical and dental unit, other agency of higher education, or public technical institute may apply to the department in the form and manner provided by department rule to develop and offer the educational curriculum under this subchapter.

(b) The department may contract with not more than three qualified general academic teaching institutions, medical and dental units, other agencies of higher education, or public technical institutes to develop and offer the educational curriculum under this subchapter.

Sec. 773.256. ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT. The department may provide administrative support to the program.

Sec. 773.257. GRANTS. (a) The commissioner may use money from the permanent fund for emergency medical services and trauma care established under Section 403.106, Government Code, to provide grants, in addition to funding available from other sources, to emergency medical services providers applying for assistance under the program or to provide funding to a general academic teaching institution, medical and dental unit, other agency of higher education, or public technical institute offering the educational curriculum under this subchapter.

(b) The commissioner shall ensure that at least 60 percent of the grants provided under this section are provided to emergency medical services providers that serve a rural area.

(c) The executive commissioner by rule shall establish a procedure for the Governor's EMS and Trauma Advisory Council to establish priorities for issuance of grants under this section.

(d) The department shall distribute grants under this section in accordance with the requirements of Subsection (b) and the grant priorities established under Subsection (c).

SECTION 2. Notwithstanding another provision of this Act, the Department of State Health Services is required to implement this Act only if the legislature appropriates money specifically for that purpose. If the legislature does not appropriate money specifically for that purpose, the Department of State Health Services may, but is not required to, implement this Act using other appropriations available for that purpose.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.

______________________________ ______________________________

President of the Senate Speaker of the House

I certify that H.B. No. 1407 was passed by the House on May 4, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 128, Nays 18, 2 present, not voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. No. 1407 on May 25, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 130, Nays 14, 2 present, not voting.

______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House

I certify that H.B. No. 1407 was passed by the Senate, with amendments, on May 23, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 28, Nays 3.

______________________________ Secretary of the Senate APPROVED: __________________

Date

__________________

Governor