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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a grant program to provide financial assistance to |
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qualified ambulance service providers in certain rural counties. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 130, Local Government |
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Code, is amended by adding Section 130.914 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 130.914. RURAL AMBULANCE SERVICE GRANT PROGRAM. (a) |
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In this section: |
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(1) "Grant program" means the rural ambulance service |
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grant program established by this section. |
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(2) "Qualified county" is a county that has a |
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population of 68,750 or less. |
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(3) "Qualified rural ambulance service provider" |
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means a private safety entity or public agency as those terms are |
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defined by Section 772.001, Health and Safety Code, licensed by the |
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Department of State Health Services to provide emergency medical |
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services and operating predominantly in a rural area. |
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(b) The comptroller shall establish and administer the |
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rural ambulance service grant program to support the state purpose |
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of ensuring adequate ground ambulance services by providing |
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financial assistance to qualified rural ambulance service |
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providers in qualified counties. |
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(c) Not later than the 30th day after the first day of a |
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qualified county's fiscal year, the county may submit a grant |
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application to the comptroller. A county may submit only one |
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application each fiscal year. If a county is awarded a grant under |
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this program, the county is ineligible to apply for an additional |
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grant. |
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(d) The comptroller may award a grant to a qualified county |
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using money appropriated to the comptroller for that purpose and |
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only in accordance with a contract between the comptroller and the |
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county that includes conditions providing the comptroller with |
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sufficient control to ensure the public purpose of providing |
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adequate ground ambulance services is accomplished. In awarding |
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grants, the comptroller shall consider: |
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(1) the distance from a qualified county's county seat |
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to the nearest Level I trauma facility; and |
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(2) the county's ability to otherwise obtain the money |
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necessary to provide adequate ground ambulance services. |
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(e) The comptroller may award a grant under this section |
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only in the following applicable amount: |
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(1) for a county with a population of less than 10,000, |
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an amount not to exceed $500,000; or |
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(2) for a county with a population between 10,000 and |
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68,750, an amount not to exceed $350,000. |
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(f) A qualified county awarded a grant under this section |
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may use or authorize the use of the grant money only to purchase |
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ambulances as provided by comptroller rule. |
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(g) A qualified county awarded a grant under this section |
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may not reduce the budget of the qualified rural ambulance service |
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provider for the county's next fiscal year following the fiscal |
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year of the grant award. |
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(h) The comptroller may disburse a grant award to a |
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qualified county before the county places an order for an |
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ambulance. The county shall purchase and take possession of an |
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ambulance with money awarded under the grant program not later than |
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the fifth anniversary of the date the county receives the money. |
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The comptroller shall adopt rules necessary to implement this |
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section, including rules to establish: |
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(1) a standardized application process, the form to |
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apply for a grant, and the manner of submitting the form; |
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(2) deadlines for: |
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(A) applying for a grant; |
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(B) disbursing grant money; and |
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(C) spending grant money; |
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(3) procedures for: |
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(A) monitoring the disbursement of grant money to |
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ensure compliance with this section; and |
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(B) requiring the return of grant money awarded |
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if a county fails to use the money for a purpose authorized by this |
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section; and |
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(4) the type of ground ambulance vehicles that may be |
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purchased with grant money. |
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SECTION 2. A qualified county, as defined by Section |
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130.914(a)(2), Local Government Code, as added by this Act, may |
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apply for a rural ambulance service grant on or after January 1, |
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2026. |
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SECTION 3. Not later than January 1, 2026, the comptroller |
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of public accounts shall establish and administer the rural |
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ambulance service grant program and adopt the rules necessary to |
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implement the program as required by Section 130.914, Local |
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Government Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |