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TITLE 25HEALTH SERVICES
PART 1DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES
CHAPTER 157EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE
SUBCHAPTER CEMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES TRAINING AND COURSE APPROVAL
RULE §157.36Criteria for Denial and Disciplinary Actions for EMS Personnel and Applicants and Voluntary Surrender of a Certificate or License

  (5) falsifying any Texas application for certification or licensure or falsifying any application or documentation used to acquire registration, certification or licensure;

  (6) issuing payment to the department which has been returned to the department or its agent;

  (7) misrepresenting any requirements for certification, recertification, licensure, or licensure renewal;

  (8) staffing an EMS vehicle deemed to be in service while the person's previously issued certification or license is expired, suspended or has been revoked; and/or

  (9) failing to maintain a substantial amount of skill, knowledge and/or academic acuity to timely and/or accurately perform the duties or meet the responsibilities required of a certified emergency medical technician or licensed paramedic.

(d) Notification. If the department proposes to suspend, revoke, or not renew an EMS certificate or license, or reprimand a certificant or licensed paramedic, or deny a person's application for an EMS certification or paramedic license, or disqualify a prescreening petition's eligibility to acquire an EMS certification or paramedic license, the certificant, licensed paramedic, applicant or petitioner shall be notified at the address as shown in the current records of the department. The notice must state the alleged facts or conduct to warrant the proposed action and state that the individual may request an appeal hearing.

(e) Appeal Hearing Request.

  (1) A request for an appeal hearing shall be in writing and submitted to the department and postmarked within 30 days after the date of the notice. The appeal hearing and any appeal from that hearing shall be conducted pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act, Government Code, Chapter 2001.

  (2) If the applicant, certificant, licensed paramedic, or petitioner does not request a hearing in writing within 30 days after notice, the individual is deemed to have waived the opportunity for an appeal hearing and the department may take the proposed action.

(f) Probation.

  (1) The department may probate the suspension of an EMS certification or paramedic license and as a probationary condition may require the certificant or licensee to:

    (A) report regularly to the department on matters that are the basis of the probation;

    (B) limit practice to the areas prescribed by the department;

    (C) continue or review professional education until the person attains a degree of skill satisfactory to the department in those areas that are the basis of the probation; and/or

    (D) complete or continue to meet certain requirements or conditions related to the circumstances surrounding the certificant's or licensee's rule violations or background to assure that he or she will continue to meet and maintain general EMS standards.

  (2) Because of certain circumstances or conduct in the background of a person making an initial application for an EMS certification or paramedic license, the department may grant the certification or license, but place the person on probation, subject to the person meeting certain probationary conditions during the certification or licensure period to assure that the person will meet and maintain general EMS standards.

  (3) Any person, whose EMS certification or paramedic license has been revoked by the department and who later regains certification or licensee under this section, shall be placed on probation for one year and be required to meet certain conditions to assure that he or she will meet and maintain general EMS standards.

(g) Reapplication.

  (1) Two years after denial, revocation of a license, or the voluntary surrender of a certificate or license while disciplinary action is pending, an individual may petition the department in writing for reapplication for certification or licensure. Expiration of a certificate or license during the suspension period shall not affect the two-year waiting period required before a petition can be submitted.

  (2) The petitioner bears the burden of proving fitness for certification or licensure.

  (3) The department may allow the petitioner to file an application for certification or licensure if there is proof that the health, safety, and confidence of the public will be protected.

  (4) The department may deny any petitioner if, in the judgement of the commissioner or designee, the reason for the original action continues to exist or if the petitioner has failed to offer sufficient proof that there is no longer a threat to public health, safety, and/or confidence.

  (5) If the reapplication is allowed, the petitioner shall be required to meet the requirements for licensure as described in §157.40 of this title (relating to Paramedic Licensure), or certification as described in §157.33 of this title (relating to Certification), §157.43 of this title (relating to Course Coordinator Certification), or §157.44 of this title (relating to Emergency Medical Service Instructor Certification) and in addition shall meet the terms of probation in subsection (f) of this section.

(h) Surrender of a certificate or license. Surrender of a certificate or license shall not deprive the department of jurisdiction in regard to disciplinary action against the certificant or licensee. An individual who wishes to surrender his or her certification or license prior to the expiration of the certificate or license may do so by:

  (1) completing a Surrender of Certificate or License statement; and

  (2) in the event that a disciplinary action is pending or reasonably imminent, the certificant or licensee must acknowledge that the surrender constitutes a plea of "no contest" to the allegations upon which the disciplinary action is predicated.

(i) Notification of disposition. A copy of the order of final disposition of proposed disciplinary action shall be sent to any licensed EMS provider, first responder organization, medical director, institution or facility with which the certificant or licensee is known to be associated at the address shown in the current records of the department.


Source Note: The provisions of this §157.36 adopted to be effective September 1, 2000, 25 TexReg 3749; amended to be effective July 6, 2010, 35 TexReg 5888; amended to be effective February 12, 2017, 42 TexReg 430

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