BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1526

By: Blanco

County Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The Big Bend region of Texas, comprised of Brewster, Presidio, and Jeff Davis Counties, encompasses a geographic area of over 12,000 square miles. The low population density, great geographic distances, and relative isolation from major population centers make providing emergency medical services (EMS) an expensive and challenging endeavor. Currently, six EMS providers provide life-saving services for county residents and visitors in the region. An effort to regionalize EMS operations is underway to scale and consolidate them to provide a higher quality and more efficient service. The Big Bend Regional Hospital District is a bi-county entity in Brewster and Presidio Counties focused on regional health issues and is poised to assist in the EMS regionalization effort. However, the district's enabling legislation does not provide for the district to provide mobile EMS. S.B. 1526 seeks to address this issue by authorizing the district to provide mobile EMS within the district's boundaries.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 1526 amends the Special District Local Laws Code to authorize the Big Bend Regional Hospital District to provide mobile emergency medical services within the district's boundaries.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.