Sec. 573.005. TRANSPORTATION FOR EMERGENCY DETENTION BY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PROVIDER; MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING. (a) A law enforcement agency and an emergency medical services provider may execute a memorandum of understanding under which emergency medical services personnel employed by the provider may transport a person taken into custody under Section 573.001 by a peace officer employed by the law enforcement agency.

(b) A memorandum of understanding must:

(1) address responsibility for the cost of transporting the person taken into custody; and

(2) be approved by the county in which the law enforcement agency is located and the local mental health authority that provides services in that county with respect to provisions of the memorandum that address the responsibility for the cost of transporting the person.

(c) A peace officer may request that emergency medical services personnel transport a person taken into custody by the officer under Section 573.001 only if:

(1) the law enforcement agency that employs the officer and the emergency medical services provider that employs the personnel have executed a memorandum of understanding under this section; and

(2) the officer determines that transferring the person for transport is safe for both the person and the personnel.

(d) Emergency medical services personnel may, at the request of a peace officer, transport a person taken into custody by the officer under Section 573.001 to the appropriate facility, as provided by that section, if the law enforcement agency that employs the officer and the emergency medical services provider that employs the personnel have executed a memorandum of understanding under this section.

(e) A peace officer who transfers a person to emergency medical services personnel under a memorandum of understanding executed under this section for transport to the appropriate facility must provide:

(1) to the person the notice described by Section 573.001(g); and

(2) to the personnel a completed notification of detention about the person on the form provided by Section 573.002(d).

Added by Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 541 (S.B. 344), Sec. 4, eff. June 9, 2017.