Bill Text: TX HB624 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to emergency medical transport by fire fighters of certain patients.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2023-05-23 - Effective on 9/1/23 [HB624 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB624-Enrolled.html
| H.B. No. 624 | ||
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| relating to emergency medical transport by fire fighters of certain | ||
| patients. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 773, Health and Safety | ||
| Code, is amended by adding Section 773.0043 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 773.0043. FIRE FIGHTER EXEMPTION FOR CERTAIN PATIENTS; | ||
| MEDICAL TREATMENT AND TRANSPORT OPERATING GUIDELINES. (a) In this | ||
| section, "fire fighter" means: | ||
| (1) an individual who is defined as fire protection | ||
| personnel under Section 419.021, Government Code; or | ||
| (2) an individual who is a volunteer fire fighter | ||
| certified by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection or the State | ||
| Firefighters' and Fire Marshals' Association of Texas. | ||
| (b) Notwithstanding Section 773.041, a fire fighter, | ||
| regardless of whether the fire fighter is licensed as an emergency | ||
| medical services provider, may transport a sick or injured patient | ||
| to a health care facility in a vehicle other than an emergency | ||
| medical services vehicle if: | ||
| (1) the appropriate emergency medical services | ||
| provider: | ||
| (A) is notified of the patient's clinical | ||
| condition; and | ||
| (B) is unable to provide emergency medical | ||
| services imminently at the patient's location; and | ||
| (2) the medical treatment and transport operating | ||
| guidelines for the patient's apparent clinical condition authorize | ||
| transport of the patient in a vehicle other than an emergency | ||
| medical services vehicle. | ||
| (c) Each trauma service area regional advisory council | ||
| shall develop the medical treatment and transport operating | ||
| guidelines necessary to implement this section for the area served | ||
| by the council and provide notice of the guidelines to the emergency | ||
| medical services providers and fire fighters in that area. | ||
| SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2024, each trauma | ||
| service area regional advisory council shall develop medical | ||
| treatment and transport operating guidelines necessary to | ||
| implement Section 773.0043, Health and Safety Code, as added by | ||
| this Act, and provide notice of the guidelines to the emergency | ||
| medical services providers and fire fighters in the area. | ||
| SECTION 3. Section 773.0043, Health and Safety Code, as | ||
| added by this Act, applies only to transportation provided on or | ||
| after January 1, 2024. | ||
| SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I certify that H.B. No. 624 was passed by the House on March | ||
| 30, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 147, Nays 0, 1 present, not | ||
| voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| I certify that H.B. No. 624 was passed by the Senate on May | ||
| 10, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| APPROVED: _____________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| _____________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
