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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment of the emergency medical services |
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assistance program. |
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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 SERVICES ASSISTANCE PROGRAM |
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Sec. 773.251. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
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(1) "Educational curriculum" means a |
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distance-learning emergency medical services curriculum that |
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provides remote courses of instruction and training to emergency |
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medical services personnel who serve a rural area. |
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(2) "Postsecondary educational institution" means any |
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institution, public or private, which provides courses of |
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instruction beyond that offered in secondary schools. |
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(3) "Program" means the emergency medical services |
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assistance program established under this subchapter. |
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Sec. 773.252. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM. (a) The |
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department shall establish the emergency medical services |
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assistance program to provide financial and educational assistance |
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to eligible emergency medical services providers. |
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(b) The program includes grants to eligible emergency |
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medical services providers and an educational curriculum to provide |
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training to rural emergency medical services personnel. |
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Sec. 773.253. RULES. (a) The executive commissioner shall |
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adopt rules necessary to implement this subchapter, including rules |
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for: |
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(1) determining eligibility under the program; |
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(2) establishing requirements for the educational |
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curriculum; and |
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(3) establishing requirements for a postsecondary |
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educational institution that develops and offers the educational |
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curriculum. |
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(b) The rules must require that: |
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(1) an emergency medical services provider |
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demonstrate financial need to be eligible for assistance under the |
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program; |
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(2) a postsecondary educational institution applying |
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to offer the educational curriculum demonstrate the qualifications |
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necessary to develop and offer the educational curriculum; and |
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(3) the educational curriculum provide to rural |
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emergency medical services personnel the remote instructional |
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courses and training necessary for the personnel to achieve |
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department certification under Subchapter C. |
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Sec. 773.254. APPLICATION BY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES |
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PROVIDER. (a) An emergency medical services provider may apply to |
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the department in the form and manner provided by department rule to |
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receive assistance under the program. |
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(b) If the department determines an applicant is eligible |
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for assistance under the program, the department may provide a |
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grant under Section 773.257 to the applicant. |
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Sec. 773.255. EDUCATIONAL CURRICULUM. (a) A postsecondary |
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educational institution may apply to the department in the form and |
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manner provided by department rule to develop and offer the |
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educational curriculum under this subchapter. |
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(b) The department may contract with not more than three |
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qualified postsecondary educational institutions to develop and |
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offer the educational curriculum under this subchapter. |
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Sec. 773.256. ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT. The department may |
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provide administrative support to the program. |
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Sec. 773.257. GRANTS. (a) The commissioner may use money |
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from the permanent fund for emergency medical services and trauma |
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care established under Section 403.106, Government Code, to provide |
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grants, in addition to funding available from other sources, to |
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emergency medical services providers applying for assistance under |
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the program or to provide funding to a postsecondary educational |
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institution offering the educational curriculum under this |
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subchapter. |
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(b) The commissioner shall ensure that at least 60 percent |
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of the grants provided under this section are provided to emergency |
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medical services providers that serve a rural area. |
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(c) The executive commissioner by rule shall establish a |
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procedure for the Governor's EMS and Trauma Advisory Council to |
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establish priorities for issuance of grants under this section. |
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(d) The department shall distribute grants under this |
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section in accordance with the requirements of Subsection (b) and |
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the grant priorities established under Subsection (c). |
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SECTION 2. Section 542.4031, Transportation Code, is |
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amended by amending Subsections (g) and (h) and adding Subsection |
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(h-1) 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) 63.67 [67] percent to the credit of the |
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undedicated portion of the general revenue fund; [and] |
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(2) 33 percent to the credit of the designated trauma |
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facility and emergency medical services account under Section |
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780.003, Health and Safety Code; and |
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(3) 3.33 percent to the credit of the permanent fund |
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for emergency medical services and trauma care under Section |
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403.106, Government Code. |
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(h) Notwithstanding Subsection (g)(1), in any state fiscal |
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year the comptroller shall deposit 63.67 [67] percent of the money |
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received under Subsection (e)(2) to the credit of the general |
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revenue fund only until the total amount of the money deposited to |
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the credit of the general revenue fund under Subsection (g)(1) and |
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Section 780.002(b), Health and Safety Code, equals $250 million for |
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that year. If in any state fiscal year the amount received by the |
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comptroller under those laws for deposit to the credit of the |
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general revenue fund exceeds $250 million, the comptroller shall |
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deposit the additional amount to the credit of the Texas mobility |
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fund. |
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(h-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (g)(3), if in any state |
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fiscal year the amount received by the comptroller under that |
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subsection for deposit to the credit of the permanent fund for |
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emergency medical services and trauma care exceeds $3 million, the |
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comptroller shall deposit the additional amount to the credit of |
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the general revenue fund. |
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SECTION 3. Section 542.4031, 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, 2017. |