H.B. No. 479

	AN ACT
	relating to the transfer of the regional emergency medical dispatch
	resource centers program to the Commission on State Emergency
	Communications and a pilot project to provide emergency
	telemedicine medical services in rural areas.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1.  Sections 771.102(a) and (c), Health and Safety
	Code, are amended to read as follows:
	(a)  The commission [center], with the assistance of the
	advisory council appointed under Section 773.012, shall administer
	the program in which [establish a program to use] emergency medical
	dispatchers located in regional emergency medical dispatch
	resource centers are used to provide life-saving and other
	emergency medical instructions to persons who need guidance while
	awaiting the arrival of emergency medical personnel.  The purpose
	of a regional emergency medical dispatch resource center is not to
	dispatch personnel or equipment resources but to serve as a
	resource to provide pre-arrival instructions that may be accessed
	by selected public safety answering points that are not adequately
	staffed or funded to provide those services.
	(c)  The commission [center], with the assistance of the
	advisory council, shall:
	(1)  design criteria and protocols and provide
	oversight as needed to conduct the program;
	(2)  collect the necessary data to evaluate the
	program; and
	(3)  report its findings to the legislature.
	SECTION 2.  Sections 771.103, 771.104, and 771.105, Health
	and Safety Code, are amended to read as follows:
	Sec. 771.103.  PARTICIPATION IN PROGRAM. (a) The
	commission [center] shall determine which public safety answering
	points are interested in participating in the program.
	(b)  Participating public safety answering points must agree
	to participate in any required training and to provide regular
	reports required by the commission [center] for the program.
	Sec. 771.104.  SELECTION OF PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS AND
	REGIONAL EMERGENCY MEDICAL DISPATCH RESOURCE CENTERS. (a) The
	commission [center], with the assistance of the advisory council,
	may select public safety answering points to participate in the
	program or to serve as regional emergency medical dispatch resource
	centers.  A public safety answering point may participate in the
	program and serve as a regional emergency medical dispatch resource
	center.  A public safety answering point selected for the program or
	to serve as a resource center must:
	(1)  have a fully functional quality assurance program
	that measures each emergency medical dispatcher's compliance with
	the medical protocol;
	(2)  have dispatch personnel who meet the requirements
	for emergency medical dispatcher certification or the equivalent as
	determined by the Department of State Health Services;
	(3)  use emergency medical dispatch protocols approved
	by a physician medical director knowledgeable in emergency medical
	dispatch;
	(4)  have sufficient experience in providing
	pre-arrival instructions; and
	(5)  have sufficient resources to handle the additional
	workload and responsibilities of the program.
	(b)  In selecting an existing public safety answering point
	to act as a resource center, the commission [center] shall consider
	a public safety answering point's ability to keep records and
	produce reports to measure the effectiveness of the program.  The
	commission [center] shall share information regarding a public
	safety answering point's abilities with the advisory council.
	Sec. 771.105.  CRITERIA FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL DISPATCH
	INTERVENTION. The commission [center], with the assistance of the
	advisory council, shall define criteria that establish the need for
	emergency medical dispatch intervention to be used by participating
	public safety answering points to determine which calls are to be
	transferred to the regional emergency medical dispatch resource
	center for emergency medical dispatch intervention.
	SECTION 3.  Sections 771.106(a), (b), and (d), Health and
	Safety Code, are amended to read as follows:
	(a)  State [Money in the 9-1-1 services fee fund and other
	state] funds may be appropriated to [The University of Texas
	Medical Branch at Galveston on behalf of] the commission [center]
	to fund the program.
	(b)  The commission may [University of Texas Medical Branch
	at Galveston on behalf of the center and the center are also
	authorized to] seek grant funding for the program.
	(d)  The provisions in this subchapter that require the
	commission [center] to [establish,] conduct[,] and evaluate the
	program are contingent on the commission [center] receiving funding
	in accordance with this section.  If a sufficient number of
	political subdivisions in a region that could be served by a program
	offer to pay the commission [center] an amount that in the
	aggregate, together with any other funding received under this
	section, is sufficient to fund the program for the region, [The
	University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, on behalf of] the
	commission [center]:
	(1)  shall enter into contracts with the offering
	political subdivisions under which each will pay an appropriate
	share of the cost; and
	(2)  when the amount under the signed contracts,
	together with any other funding received under this section, is
	sufficient to fund the program for the region, shall implement the
	program for the region.
	SECTION 4.  Section 771.107, Health and Safety Code, is
	amended to read as follows:
	Sec. 771.107.  REPORT TO LEGISLATURE.  The commission
	[center] shall biennially report its findings to the governor, the
	presiding officer of each house of the legislature, and the
	advisory council no later than January 1 of each odd-numbered year.
	SECTION 5.  Section 771.109(a), Health and Safety Code, is
	amended to read as follows:
	(a)  The commission [center] may appoint a program work group
	to assist the commission [center] in [developing,] implementing[,]
	and evaluating the program and preparing a report on the
	commission's [center's] findings.
	SECTION 6.  Chapter 771, Health and Safety Code, is amended
	by adding Subchapter F to read as follows:
	SUBCHAPTER F. NEXT GENERATION 9-1-1 TELEMEDICINE MEDICAL
	SERVICES PILOT PROJECT
	Sec. 771.151.  DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
	(1)  "Center" means the area health education center at
	the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center that meets the
	requirements of 42 U.S.C. Section 294a and has received federal
	funding as an area health education center.
	(2)  "Emergency medical services" means services used
	to respond to an individual's perceived need for immediate medical
	care and to prevent death or aggravation of physiological or
	psychological illness or injury.
	(3)  "Emergency medical services provider" means a
	person who uses or maintains emergency medical services vehicles,
	medical equipment, and emergency medical services personnel to
	provide emergency medical services.
	(4)  "Emergency prehospital care" means care provided
	to the sick or injured before or during transportation to a medical
	facility, and includes any necessary stabilization of the sick or
	injured in connection with that transportation.
	(5)  "Regional trauma resource center" means a trauma
	facility that the center selects to participate in the project.
	(6)  "Rural area" means:
	(A)  a county with a population of 50,000 or less;
	or
	(B)  a large, isolated, and sparsely populated
	area of a county with a population of more than 50,000.
	(7)  "Telemedicine medical service" means a health care
	service that is initiated by a physician or provided by a health
	professional acting under physician delegation and supervision,
	that is provided for purposes of patient assessment by a health
	professional, diagnosis or consultation by a physician, or
	treatment, or for the transfer of medical data, and that requires
	the use of advanced telecommunications technology, other than
	telephone or facsimile technology, including:
	(A)  compressed digital interactive video, audio,
	or data transmission;
	(B)  clinical data transmission using computer
	imaging by way of still-image capture and store and forward; and
	(C)  other technology that facilitates access to
	health care services or medical specialty expertise.
	(8)  "Trauma facility" means a health care facility
	that is capable of comprehensive treatment of seriously injured
	persons and is a part of an emergency medical services and trauma
	care system.
	Sec. 771.152.  ESTABLISHMENT OF PILOT PROJECT. (a) The
	commission, with the assistance of the center, shall establish a
	pilot project to provide emergency medical services instruction and
	emergency prehospital care instruction through a telemedicine
	medical service provided by regional trauma resource centers to:
	(1)  health care providers in rural area trauma
	facilities; and
	(2)  emergency medical services providers in rural
	areas.
	(b)  The commission shall provide technical assistance to
	the center in implementing the pilot project.
	(c)  The center, with the assistance of the commission,
	shall:
	(1)  design criteria and protocols for the telemedicine
	medical service and related instruction and provide the oversight
	necessary to conduct the pilot project;
	(2)  define criteria to determine when telemedicine
	medical services that provide instructions for emergency medical
	services, emergency prehospital care, and trauma care should be
	transferred to an emergency medical resource center for
	intervention; and
	(3)  collect the data necessary to evaluate the
	project.
	(d)  The center may make available appropriate resources for
	individuals who do not speak English.
	Sec. 771.153.  STAFF. The center shall provide the
	telemedicine medical service and related instruction for the pilot
	project through health care providers in regional trauma resource
	centers, including physicians, pharmacists, emergency medical
	personnel, and other health professionals acting under physician
	delegation and supervision.
	Sec. 771.154.  PARTICIPATION IN PILOT PROJECT. (a) The
	center shall determine the trauma facilities and emergency medical
	services providers that are interested in participating in the
	pilot project.
	(b)  A trauma facility or emergency medical services
	provider participating in the pilot project must agree to
	successfully complete any required training and to provide all
	reports required by the center for the project.
	Sec. 771.155.  SELECTION OF PROJECT PARTICIPANTS AND
	REGIONAL TRAUMA RESOURCE CENTERS. (a) The center, with the
	assistance of the commission, may select trauma facilities and
	emergency medical services providers to participate in the pilot
	project and select trauma facilities to serve as regional trauma
	resource centers.
	(b)  A trauma facility may not be selected to participate in
	the project or to serve as a regional trauma resource center unless
	the facility:
	(1)  has a quality assurance program that measures each
	health care provider's compliance with the medical protocol;
	(2)  uses emergency medical services and emergency
	prehospital care protocols approved by a physician medical director
	knowledgeable in emergency medical services and emergency
	prehospital care;
	(3)  has experience in providing emergency medical
	services and emergency prehospital care that the center determines
	is sufficient; and
	(4)  has resources sufficient to provide the additional
	telemedicine medical services and related instruction required for
	the pilot project in addition to the health care services already
	provided by the facility.
	(c)  In selecting a trauma facility to serve as a regional
	trauma resource center, the center shall consider the facility
	personnel's ability to maintain records and produce reports to
	measure the effectiveness of the pilot project. The center shall
	share information regarding that ability with the commission.
	Sec. 771.156.  FUNDING OF PILOT PROJECT. (a) Money
	collected under Section 771.072(f) may be appropriated to the
	commission to fund the pilot project.
	(b)  The center may seek grants to fund the pilot project.
	(c)  A political subdivision with a trauma facility that
	participates in the pilot project may pay part of the costs of the
	pilot project.
	(d)  If a sufficient number of political subdivisions in a
	region that may be served by the pilot project agree to pay the
	center an amount that together with other funding received under
	this section is sufficient to fund the pilot project for the region,
	the center shall:
	(1)  contract with the political subdivisions for each
	to pay an appropriate share of the cost; and
	(2)  implement the project for the region when the
	amounts agreed to in the contracts and any other funding received
	under this section are sufficient to fund the project for the
	region.
	Sec. 771.157.  REPORT TO LEGISLATURE. The center, in
	cooperation with the commission, shall report its findings to the
	governor and the presiding officer of each house of the
	legislature, not later than December 31, 2020.
	Sec. 771.158.  LIABILITY. The operations of the center and a
	regional trauma resource center are considered to be the provision
	of 9-1-1 services for purposes of Section 771.053. Employees of and
	volunteers at the regional trauma resource center have the same
	protection from liability as a member of the governing body of a
	public agency under Section 771.053.
	Sec. 771.159.  WORK GROUP. (a) The center may appoint a
	project work group to assist the center in developing,
	implementing, and evaluating the project and preparing a report on
	the center's findings.
	(b)  A member of the work group is not entitled to
	compensation for serving on the project work group and may not be
	reimbursed for travel or other expenses incurred while conducting
	the business of the project work group.
	(c)  The project work group is not subject to Chapter 2110,
	Government Code.
	Sec. 771.160.  EXPIRATION. This subchapter expires January
	1, 2021.
	SECTION 7.  Sections 771.101 and 771.102(b), Health and
	Safety Code, are repealed.
	SECTION 8.  (a)  In this section:
	(1)  "Center" means the area health education center at
	The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston that meets the
	requirements of 42 U.S.C. Section 294a and has received federal
	funding as an area health education center.
	(2)  "Program" means the regional emergency medical
	dispatch resource centers program established under Subchapter E,
	Chapter 771, Health and Safety Code, as that subchapter existed
	before amendment by this Act.
	(b)  On the effective date of this Act, the administration of
	the program is transferred from the center to the Commission on
	State Emergency Communications and all unspent and unobligated
	funds appropriated by the legislature to The University of Texas
	Medical Branch at Galveston on behalf of the center to fund the
	program are transferred to the commission.
	(c)  The Commission on State Emergency Communications with
	the agreement of the center may accept the transfer of any records,
	employees, or real or personal property of the center relating to
	the operation of the program.
	SECTION 9.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
	______________________________	______________________________
	President of the Senate	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.B. No. 479 was passed by the House on April
	15, 2015, by the following vote:  Yeas 140, Nays 1, 1 present, not
	voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
	No. 479 on May 22, 2015, by the following vote:  Yeas 128, Nays 4, 2
	present, not voting.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House
	I certify that H.B. No. 479 was passed by the Senate, with
	amendments, on May 21, 2015, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays
	0.
	______________________________
	Secretary of the Senate
	APPROVED: __________________
	Date
	__________________
	Governor