85R14341 SCL-F     By: Sheffield H.B. No. 3577       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to the establishment of the emergency medical services   educational 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 EDUCATIONAL 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)  "Postsecondary educational institution" means any   institution, public or private, which provides courses of   instruction beyond that offered in secondary schools.                (3)  "Program" means the emergency medical services   educational program established under this subchapter.          Sec. 773.252.  ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.  The department   shall establish the emergency medical services educational program   to provide an educational curriculum for training 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)  establishing requirements for the educational   curriculum; and                (2)  establishing requirements for a postsecondary   educational institution that develops and offers the educational   curriculum.          (b)  The rules must require that:                (1)  a postsecondary educational institution applying   to offer the educational curriculum demonstrate the qualifications   necessary to develop and offer the educational curriculum; and                (2)  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.  EDUCATIONAL CURRICULUM.  (a)  A postsecondary   educational institution 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 postsecondary educational institutions to develop and   offer the educational curriculum under this subchapter.          Sec. 773.255.  ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.  The department may   provide administrative support to the program.          Sec. 773.256.  EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES EDUCATIONAL   ACCOUNT. (a) In this section, "account" means the emergency   medical services educational account established under this   section.          (b)  The emergency medical services educational account is   established as a dedicated account in the general revenue fund.          (c)  The account is composed of:                (1)  money deposited to the credit of the account under   Section 542.4031, Transportation Code; and                (2)  notwithstanding Section 404.071, Government Code,   interest earned on the investment of money in the account and   depository interest allocable to the account.          (d)  Money in the account may be appropriated to the   department only for the purposes described by Subsection (e).          (e)  The commissioner may use the money appropriated from the   account to provide funding to a postsecondary educational   institution offering the educational curriculum under this   subchapter.          SECTION 2.  Section 542.4031(g), Transportation Code, is   amended to read as follows:          (g)  Of the money received by the comptroller under this   section, the comptroller shall deposit:                (1)  50.5 [67] percent to the credit of the undedicated   portion of the general revenue fund; [and]                (2)  33 percent to the credit of the designated trauma   facility and emergency medical services account under Section   780.003, Health and Safety Code; and                (3)  16.5 percent to the credit of the emergency   medical services educational account under Section 773.256, Health   and Safety Code.          SECTION 3.  Section 542.4031(g), Transportation Code, as   amended by this Act, applies only to the distribution of revenue   collected on or after the effective date of this Act. The   distribution of revenue collected before the effective date of this   Act is governed by the law in effect at the time the revenue was   collected, and that law is continued in effect for the purpose of   the distribution of that revenue.          SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.