BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center	H.B. 786
87R9746 KKR-D	By: Oliverson et al. (Perry)
	Health & Human Services
	4/19/2021
	Engrossed

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

There are concerns about the low rate of survival for people who experience sudden cardiac arrest outside of a hospital setting. Evidence indicates that early administration of CPR has a positive impact on a patient's chance of survival. When a person dials 9-1-1, they are in communication with a dispatcher who then directs paramedics to arrive at the scene. It has been suggested that if 9-1-1 dispatchers and other licensed telecommunicators received CPR training they would be able to coach the caller through administering CPR while the paramedics are en route, thus giving the patient a better chance of recovery. H.B. 786 seeks to require telecommunicators to receive this training as part of their initial licensure training and on an ongoing basis as part of their continuing education.

 

H.B. 786 amends the Occupations Code to require the training for a telecommunicator license to include telecommunicator CPR training that satisfies the following criteria:

 

�         it uses the most current nationally recognized emergency cardiovascular care guidelines;

 

�         it incorporates recognition protocols for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest; and

 

�         it provides information on best practices for relaying compression-only CPR instructions to callers.

 

H.B. 786 requires the continuing education provided to telecommunicators to include CPR training that satisfies those criteria and removes the requirement that telecommunicator continuing education courses be approved by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE). The bill requires TCOLE to adopt rules necessary to implement the bill's provisions as soon as practicable after the bill's effective date.

 

H.B. 786 amends current law relating to required cardiopulmonary resuscitation training for telecommunicators.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to Texas Commission on Law Enforcement in SECTION 3 of this bill.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1. Amends Section 1701.3071, Occupations Code, by adding Subsection (a-1), as follows:

 

(a-1) Requires that the training required by Subsection (a)(2) (relating to the requirement that the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) issue a telecommunicator license to a person who completes the required training) include telecommunicator cardiopulmonary resuscitation training that:

 

(1) uses the most current nationally recognized emergency cardiovascular care guidelines;

 

(2) incorporates recognition protocols for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest; and

 

(3) provides information on best practices for relaying compression-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation instructions to callers.

 

SECTION 2. Amends Section 1701.352(i), Occupations Code, as follows:

 

(i) Requires a state agency, county, special district, or municipality that appoints or employs a telecommunicator to provide training to the telecommunicator of not less than 20 hours during each 24-month period of employment that includes:

 

(1) telecommunicator cardiopulmonary resuscitation as described by Section 1701.3071(a-1); and

 

(2) other topics selected by the TCOLE and the employing entity.

 

Deletes existing text requiring that the training be approved by TCOLE and consist of topics selected by TCOLE and the employing entity.

 

SECTION 3. Requires TCOLE, as soon as practicable after the effective date of this Act, to adopt rules necessary to implement Section 1701.3071(a-1), Occupations Code, as added by this Act, and Section 1701.352(i), Occupations Code, as amended by this Act.

 

SECTION 4.� Effective date: September 1, 2021.