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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) "General academic teaching institution" and |
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"public technical institute" have the meanings assigned by Section |
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61.003, Education Code. |
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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 general academic |
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teaching institution or public technical institute that develops |
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and offers the educational 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 general academic teaching institution or public |
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technical institute applying to offer the educational curriculum |
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demonstrate the qualifications necessary to develop and offer the |
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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 general |
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academic teaching institution or public technical institute may |
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apply to the department in the form and manner provided by |
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department rule to develop and offer the educational curriculum |
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under this subchapter. |
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(b) The department may contract with not more than three |
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qualified general academic teaching institutions or public |
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technical institutes to develop and offer the educational |
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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 general academic teaching |
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institution or public technical institute offering the educational |
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curriculum under this 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. Notwithstanding another provision of this Act, |
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the Department of State Health Services is required to implement |
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this Act only if the legislature appropriates money specifically |
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for that purpose. If the legislature does not appropriate money |
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specifically for that purpose, the Department of State Health |
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Services may, but is not required to, implement this Act using other |
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appropriations available for that purpose. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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