HBA-NLM, BTC H.B. 627 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 627
By: Reyna, Arthur
Insurance
4/3/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, if an emergency medical services (EMS) vehicle is owned by a
municipality or county, the governmental vehicle is exempted from having
any additional coverage aside from the minimum insurance coverage required
for all vehicles.  Also, if an EMS vehicle is privately owned the usual
minimum coverage is required.  H.B. 627 requires privately owned EMS
vehicles to have $275,000 in additional insurance coverage. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 601.072, Transportation Code, as follows:  

Sec. 601.072.  MINIMUM COVERAGE AMOUNTS.  (a)  Provides an exception under
Subsection (b).  Makes a conforming change. 

(b)  Provides that the minimum amounts of motor vehicle liability insurance
coverage required to establish financial responsibility under this chapter
for an emergency medical services vehicle operated by an emergency medical
services provider licensed under Chapter 773, Health and Safety Code
(Emergency Medical Services) other than an emergency medical services
vehicle operated by the state or municipality or other political
subdivision of the state, are: 

(1)  $100,000 for bodily injury to or death of one person in one accident;

(2)  $200,000 for bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in one
accident, subject to the amount provided by Subdivision (1) for bodily
injury to or death of one of the persons; and 

(3)  $75,000 for damage to or destruction of property of others in one
accident. 

(c)  Created from existing text.  Makes a conforming change. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 773.0571, Health and Safety Code, by adding
Subdivision (3), to require the Department of Public Safety (department) to
be satisfied that each of an emergency medical services provider's vehicles
complies with Chapter 601, Transportation Code (Motor Vehicle Safety
Responsibility Act), before the department issues a license, which is valid
for two years, to the provider.  Redesignates existing Subdivision (4) to
Subdivision (5). 

SECTION 3.  Amends Section 601.003(b), Transportation Code, to make
conforming changes. 




 


SECTION 4.  Effective date:  September 1, 1999.  Provides that Section
601.072, Transportation Code, as amended by this Act, applies only to the
operation of an emergency medical services vehicle on or after January 1,
2000, and Section 773.0571, Health and Safety Code, as amended by this Act,
applies only to an emergency medical services provider license that is
issued or renewed after January 1, 2000.   

SECTION 5.  Emergency clause.