H.B. No. 1407
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the establishment of the emergency medical services
  assistance program.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Chapter 773, Health and Safety Code, is amended
  by adding Subchapter I to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER I.  EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
         Sec. 773.251.  DEFINITIONS.  In this subchapter:
               (1)  "Educational curriculum" means a
  distance-learning emergency medical services curriculum that
  provides remote courses of instruction and training to emergency
  medical services personnel who serve a rural area.
               (2)  "General academic teaching institution," "medical
  and dental unit," "other agency of higher education," and "public
  technical institute" have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003,
  Education Code.
               (3)  "Program" means the emergency medical services
  assistance program established under this subchapter.
         Sec. 773.252.  ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.  (a)  The
  department shall establish the emergency medical services
  assistance program to provide financial and educational assistance
  to eligible emergency medical services providers.
         (b)  The program includes grants to eligible emergency
  medical services providers and an educational curriculum to provide
  training to rural emergency medical services personnel.
         Sec. 773.253.  RULES.  (a)  The executive commissioner shall
  adopt rules necessary to implement this subchapter, including rules
  for:
               (1)  determining eligibility under the program;
               (2)  establishing requirements for the educational
  curriculum; and
               (3)  establishing requirements for a general academic
  teaching institution, medical and dental unit, other agency of
  higher education, or public technical institute that develops and
  offers the educational curriculum.
         (b)  The rules must require that:
               (1)  an emergency medical services provider
  demonstrate financial need to be eligible for assistance under the
  program;
               (2)  a general academic teaching institution, medical
  and dental unit, other agency of higher education, or public
  technical institute applying to offer the educational curriculum
  demonstrate the qualifications necessary to develop and offer the
  educational curriculum; and
               (3)  the educational curriculum provide to rural
  emergency medical services personnel the remote instructional
  courses and training necessary for the personnel to achieve
  department certification under Subchapter C.
         Sec. 773.254.  APPLICATION BY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES
  PROVIDER.  (a)  An emergency medical services provider may apply to
  the department in the form and manner provided by department rule to
  receive assistance under the program.
         (b)  If the department determines an applicant is eligible
  for assistance under the program, the department may provide a
  grant under Section 773.257 to the applicant.
         Sec. 773.255.  EDUCATIONAL CURRICULUM.  (a)  A general
  academic teaching institution, medical and dental unit, other
  agency of higher education, or public technical institute may apply
  to the department in the form and manner provided by department rule
  to develop and offer the educational curriculum under this
  subchapter.
         (b)  The department may contract with not more than three
  qualified general academic teaching institutions, medical and
  dental units, other agencies of higher education, or public
  technical institutes to develop and offer the educational
  curriculum under this subchapter.
         Sec. 773.256.  ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.  The department may
  provide administrative support to the program.
         Sec. 773.257.  GRANTS.  (a)  The commissioner may use money
  from the permanent fund for emergency medical services and trauma
  care established under Section 403.106, Government Code, to provide
  grants, in addition to funding available from other sources, to
  emergency medical services providers applying for assistance under
  the program or to provide funding to a general academic teaching
  institution, medical and dental unit, other agency of higher
  education,
  or public technical institute offering the educational
  curriculum under this subchapter.
         (b)  The commissioner shall ensure that at least 60 percent
  of the grants provided under this section are provided to emergency
  medical services providers that serve a rural area.
         (c)  The executive commissioner by rule shall establish a
  procedure for the Governor's EMS and Trauma Advisory Council to
  establish priorities for issuance of grants under this section.
         (d)  The department shall distribute grants under this
  section in accordance with the requirements of Subsection (b) and
  the grant priorities established under Subsection (c).
         SECTION 2.  Notwithstanding another provision of this Act,
  the Department of State Health Services is required to implement
  this Act only if the legislature appropriates money specifically
  for that purpose.  If the legislature does not appropriate money
  specifically for that purpose, the Department of State Health
  Services may, but is not required to, implement this Act using other
  appropriations available for that purpose.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 1407 was passed by the House on May 4,
  2017, by the following vote:  Yeas 128, Nays 18, 2 present, not
  voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
  No. 1407 on May 25, 2017, by the following vote:  Yeas 130, Nays 14,
  2 present, not voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 1407 was passed by the Senate, with
  amendments, on May 23, 2017, by the following vote:  Yeas 28, Nays
  3.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate   
  APPROVED: __________________
                  Date       
   
           __________________
                Governor