HBA-MSH C.S.S.B. 1564 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.S.B. 1564 By: Duncan Urban Affairs 5/16/2001 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, funding methods for emergency medical services in the City of Big Spring are insufficient to support the services. C.S.S.B. 1564 authorizes certain cities to assess a fee on water, sewer, gas, or electrical services to help fund emergency medical services. 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. ANALYSIS C.S.S.B. 1564 amends the Health and Safety Code to authorize the governing body of a municipality that on January 1, 2001 had a population of 5,000 or more, provided services through full-time employees of the emergency medical services department of the municipality's fire department, was not within a district that otherwise provides emergency medical services, and was within a county with a population of less than 60,000 to levy or assess a fee by ordinance in an amount not to exceed $2 per month to be paid by persons to whom water, sewer, gas, or electrical services are provided by the municipality. The bill requires the fee if imposed to be collected in the same manner as any other utility payment collected by the municipality. The bill provides that the fee must be enacted prior to November 1, 2002. The bill authorizes the funds collected from such a fee to be used only for the provision of emergency medical services within the municipality or the county in which the municipality is located. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.S.B.1564 differs rom the original by providing that the fee must be enacted prior to November 1, 2002. The substitute provides that it applies only to municipalities that met the coverage requirements on January 1, 2001.