Sec. 773.055. CERTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PERSONNEL. (a) A nonrefundable fee must accompany each application for emergency medical services personnel certification. The fee may not exceed:

(1) $90 for an emergency medical technician-paramedic or advanced emergency medical technician;

(2) $60 for an emergency medical technician or emergency care attendant;

(3) $90 for recertification of an emergency medical technician-paramedic or advanced emergency medical technician;

(4) $60 for recertification of an emergency medical technician or emergency care attendant; or

(5) $120 for certification or recertification of a licensed paramedic.

(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), the department shall notify each examinee of the results of an examination for certification not later than the 30th day after the date on which the examination is administered.

(c) The department shall notify an examinee of the results of an examination not later than the 14th day after the date on which the department receives the results if the examination is graded or reviewed by a national testing service. If the notice of the examination results will be delayed longer than 90 days after the examination date, the department shall notify each examinee of the reason for the delay before the 90th day.

(d) The department shall furnish a person who fails an examination for certification with an analysis of the person's performance on the examination if requested in writing by that person. The executive commissioner may adopt rules to allow a person who fails the examination to retake all or part of the examination. A fee of not more than $30 must accompany each application for reexamination.

(e) The department shall issue certificates to emergency medical services personnel who meet the minimum standards for personnel certification adopted under Section 773.050. A certificate is valid for four years from the date of issuance. The department shall charge a fee of not more than $10 to replace a lost certificate.

(f) A fee required by this section is the obligation of the applicant but may be paid by the emergency medical services provider. If an applicant is required to be certified as a condition of employment, the emergency medical services provider shall pay for all fees required by this section, except for a fee to replace a lost certificate, in addition to any other compensation paid to that applicant if the provider is a municipality. A municipality that requires a fire fighter to be certified as emergency medical services personnel shall pay the fees required by this section.

(g) The executive commissioner by rule may adopt a system under which certificates expire on various dates during the year. For the year in which the certificate expiration date is changed, the department shall prorate certificate fees on a monthly basis so that each certificate holder pays only that portion of the certificate fee that is allocable to the number of months during which the certificate is valid. On renewal of the certificate on the new expiration date, the total certificate renewal fee is payable.

(h) The department shall ensure that the written examinations and any other tests that the department requires a person to take and pass to obtain or retain certification as emergency medical services personnel shall be administered during the course of a year at various locations around the state so that a person who resides in any part of the state will be able to take the examinations or tests without having to travel a distance that as a practical matter requires either travel by air or an overnight stay.

Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 678, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989. Amended by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 14, Sec. 254, eff. Sept. 1, 1991; Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 251, Sec. 2, eff. May 23, 1993; Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 915, Sec. 10, eff. Aug. 28, 1995; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 435, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1411, Sec. 19.04, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 198, Sec. 2.84(d), eff. Sept. 1, 2003.

Amended by:

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 3.1531, eff. April 2, 2015.