DALLAS — State Sen. Jane Nelson has long been an advocate for tighter regulation of state-certified employees who deal with vulnerable people.
The Republican from Flower Mound was shocked to learn that registered sex offenders could be licensed as emergency medical technicians in Texas.
Now she’s sponsoring a bill to end the practice.
The measure is scheduled to be heard tomorrow by the Texas Senate Health and Human Services committee.
The bill was prompted by an Associated Press report last year detailing how state health officials for years have allowed some sex offenders to serve as EMTs and paramedics.
The state licenses EMTs on a case-by-case basis and has the discretion to approve even those who’ve committed serious crimes.
Nelson, in an e-mail to AP, said that the nature of working in emergency medical services should preclude the licensing of sex offenders.
