By Maxey H.B. No. 955
Substitute the following for H.B. No. 955:
By Maxey C.S.H.B. No. 955
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the duty of non-profit, tax-exempt hospitals to provide
1-3 charity care.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Chapter 311, Subchapter C, Section 311.031, Health and
1-6 Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:
1-7 Section 311.031. Definitions
1-8 In this subchapter:
1-9 (1) "Board" means the Texas Board of Health.
1-10 (2) "Charity care" means the unreimbursed cost to the hospital of:
1-11 (a) providing, funding, or otherwise financially supporting
1-12 health care services on an inpatient or outpatient basis to persons
1-13 classified by the hospital as "financially indigent" or "medically
1-14 indigent"; and/or
1-15 (b) providing health care services to recipients of Medicaid
1-16 and other federal, state, or local indigent health care programs.
1-17 (3) "Contractual allowances" means the difference between revenue
1-18 at established rates and amounts realizable from third-party payors
1-19 under contractual agreements.
1-20 (4) <(2)> "Department" means the Texas Department of Health.
1-21 (5) "Donations" means the unreimbursed cost of providing cash and
1-22 in-kind gifts to charitable or public entities that support the
1-23 charitable purposes of the hospital.
1-24 (6) "Education related costs" means the unreimbursed cost to the
2-1 hospital of providing, funding, or otherwise financially supporting
2-2 educational benefits, services, and programs in response to
2-3 community needs, including:
2-4 (a) education of physicians, nurses, technicians, and other
2-5 medical professionals and health care providers;
2-6 (b) provision of scholarships and funding to medical
2-7 schools, colleges and universities for health professions
2-8 education;
2-9 (c) education of patients concerning diseases and home care;
2-10 and
2-11 (d) community health education through informational
2-12 programs, publications, and outreach activities.
2-13 (7) "Financially indigent" means an uninsured or underinsured
2-14 person who is accepted for care with no obligation or a discounted
2-15 obligation to pay for the services rendered based on the
2-16 "hospital's eligibility system".
2-17 (8) <(3)> "Hospital" means a general or special hospital licensed
2-18 under Chapter 241 (Texas Hospital Licensing Law).
2-19 (9) "Hospital eligibility system" means the financial criteria and
2-20 procedure used by the hospital to determine if a patient is
2-21 eligible for charity care. Such system shall include income levels
2-22 and means testing indexed to the federal poverty guidelines;
2-23 provided, however, that a hospital may not establish an eligibility
2-24 system which sets the income eligibility level for charity care
2-25 lower than required by counties under the Indigent Health Care and
2-26 Treatment Act, Health and Safety Code, Section 61.023. A hospital
2-27 may determine that a person is financially or medically indigent
3-1 pursuant to the hospital's eligibility system after health care
3-2 services are provided.
3-3 (10) "Medically indigent" means a person whose medical or hospital
3-4 bills after payment by third-party payors exceed a specified
3-5 percentage of the patient's annual gross income, in accordance with
3-6 the "hospital's eligibility system", and the person is financially
3-7 unable to pay the remaining bill.
3-8 (11) "Research related costs" means the unreimbursed costs to the
3-9 hospital of providing, funding, or otherwise financially supporting
3-10 facilities, equipment, and personnel for medical and clinical
3-11 research conducted in response to community needs.
3-12 (12) "Subsidized health services" means those services provided by
3-13 a hospital in response to community needs for which the
3-14 reimbursement is less than the hospital's cost for providing the
3-15 services, and which must be subsidized by other hospital revenue
3-16 sources. Subsidized health services may include, but are not
3-17 limited to:
3-18 (a) emergency and trauma care;
3-19 (b) neonatal intensive care;
3-20 (c) free-standing community clinics; and
3-21 (d) collaborative efforts with local government or private
3-22 agencies in preventive medicine, such as immunization programs.
3-23 (13) "Unreimbursed Costs" means the costs the hospital incurs for
3-24 providing services after subtracting payments received from any
3-25 source for such services including, but not limited to, the
3-26 following: third-party insurance payments; Medicare payments;
3-27 Medicaid payments; Medicare education reimbursements; state
4-1 reimbursements for education; payments from drug companies to
4-2 pursue research; grant funds for research and disproportionate
4-3 share payments. For purposes of this definition, the term "costs"
4-4 shall be calculated by applying the cost to charge ratios derived
4-5 from the hospital's Medicare cost report to billed charges.
4-6 SECTION 2. Chapter 311, Subchapter C, Section 311.033, Health and
4-7 Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:
4-8 Sec. 311.033. Financial and Utilization Data Required
4-9 (a) A hospital shall submit to the department financial and
4-10 utilization data for that hospital, including data relating to the
4-11 hospital's:
4-12 (1) total gross revenue, including:
4-13 (A) Medicare gross revenue;
4-14 (B) Medicaid gross revenue;
4-15 (C) other revenue from other state programs;
4-16 (D) revenue from local government programs;
4-17 (E) local tax support;
4-18 (F) charitable contributions;
4-19 (G) other third party payments;
4-20 (H) gross inpatient revenue; and
4-21 (I) gross outpatient revenue;
4-22 (2) total deductions from gross revenue, including:
4-23 <(A) charity care;>
4-24 <(B) bad debt;>
4-25 <(C)> (A) contractual allowance; and
4-26 <(D)> (B) any other deductions;
4-27 (3) charity care;
5-1 (4) bad debt expense;
5-2 <(3)> (5) total admissions, including:
5-3 (A) Medicare admissions;
5-4 (B) Medicaid admissions;
5-5 (C) admissions under a local government program;
5-6 (D) charity care admissions; and
5-7 (E) any other type of admission;
5-8 <(4)> (6) total discharges;
5-9 <(5)> (7) total patient days;
5-10 <(6)> (8) average length of stay;
5-11 <(7)> (9) total outpatient visits;
5-12 <(8)> (10) total assets;
5-13 <(9)> (11) total liabilities;
5-14 <(10) total cost of reimbursed and unreimbursed care for
5-15 indigent patients; and>
5-16 (12) estimates of unreimbursed costs of subsidized health
5-17 services reported separately in the following categories:
5-18 (a) emergency care and trauma care;
5-19 (b) neonatal intensive care;
5-20 (c) free-standing community clinics;
5-21 (d) collaborative efforts with local government or
5-22 private agencies in preventive medicine, such as immunization
5-23 programs; and
5-24 (e) other services that satisfy the definition of
5-25 "subsidized health services" contained in Section 311.031(7).
5-26 (13) donations;
5-27 (14) total cost of reimbursed and unreimbursed research;
6-1 (15) <(11)> total cost of reimbursed and unreimbursed
6-2 <medical> education separated into the following categories:
6-3 (a) education of physicians, nurses, technicians, and
6-4 other medical professionals and health care providers;
6-5 (b) scholarships and funding to medical schools,
6-6 colleges and universities for health professions education;
6-7 (c) education of patients concerning diseases and home
6-8 care;
6-9 (d) community health education through informational
6-10 programs, publications, and outreach activities; and
6-11 (e) other educational costs that meet the definition
6-12 of "education related costs" contained in Section 311.031(10).
6-13 SECTION 3. Chapter 311, Subchapter C, Section 311.037, Health and
6-14 Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:
6-15 Sec. 311.037. Confidential Data; Criminal Penalty
6-16 (a) The following data reported or submitted to the department
6-17 under this subchapter is confidential:
6-18 (1) data regarding a specific patient. <or>
6-19 <(2) financial data regarding a provider or facility.>
6-20 (b) Before the department may disclose confidential data under
6-21 this subchapter, the department must remove any information that
6-22 identifies a specific patient<, provider, or facility>.
6-23 (c) A person commits an offense if the person:
6-24 (1) discloses, distributes, or sells confidential data
6-25 obtained under this subchapter; or
6-26 (2) violates Subsection (b).
6-27 (d) An offense under Subsection (c) is a Class B misdemeanor.
7-1 SECTION 4. Chapter 311, Health and Safety Code, is amended to add
7-2 Subchapter D to read as follows:
7-3 SUBCHAPTER D. DUTIES OF NON-PROFIT, TAX-EXEMPT HOSPITALS.
7-4 Section 311.039. Policy Statement. It is the purpose of this
7-5 subchapter to clarify the duties and responsibilities of non-profit
7-6 hospitals for providing community benefits that include charity
7-7 care.
7-8 Section 311.040. Definitions.
7-9 (1) "Charity care" means those amounts defined as charity care in
7-10 Subchapter C, Section 311.031(2), Health and Safety Code.
7-11 (2) "Community benefits" means the unreimbursed cost to the
7-12 hospital of providing charity care, donations, education,
7-13 government sponsored program services, research, and subsidized
7-14 health services. "Community benefits" does not include the cost to
7-15 the hospital of paying any taxes or other governmental assessments.
7-16 (3) "Contributions" means the dollar value of cash donations and
7-17 the fair market value at the time of donation of in-kind donations
7-18 to the hospital from individuals, organizations, or other entities.
7-19 "Contributions" does not include the value of a donation designated
7-20 or otherwise restricted by the donor for purposes other than
7-21 charity care.
7-22 (4) "Donations" means those amounts defined as donations in
7-23 Subchapter C, Section 311.031(5), Health and Safety Code.
7-24 (5) "Education related costs" means those amounts defined as
7-25 education related costs in Subchapter C, Section 311.031(6), Health
7-26 and Safety Code.
7-27 (6) "Government sponsored program unreimbursed costs" means the
8-1 unreimbursed cost to the hospital of providing health care services
8-2 to the beneficiaries of Medicare, the Civilian Health and Medical
8-3 Program of the Uniformed Services, and other federal, state or
8-4 local government health care programs.
8-5 (7) "Net patient revenue" is an accounting term and shall be
8-6 calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting
8-7 principles and practices for hospitals.
8-8 (8) "Non-profit Hospital" means a hospital that is:
8-9 (a) eligible for tax-exempt bond financing;
8-10 (b) exempt from state franchise, sales, ad valorem, or other
8-11 state or local taxes; and
8-12 (c) organized as a non-profit corporation under the laws of
8-13 this state or any other state or country.
8-14 For purposes of this Subchapter, a "non-profit hospital"
8-15 shall not include a hospital that:
8-16 (i) is exempt from state franchise, sales, ad valorem,
8-17 or other state or local taxes;
8-18 (ii) does not receive payment for providing health
8-19 care services to any inpatients or outpatients from any source
8-20 including, but not limited to the patient or any person legally
8-21 obligated to support the patient, third party payors, Medicare,
8-22 Medicaid, or any other federal, state or local indigent care
8-23 program;
8-24 (iii) provides services to patients without regard to
8-25 the patient's ability to pay or to medically or financially
8-26 indigent patients; and
8-27 (iv) does not discriminate on the basis of race,
9-1 color, creed, religion, or gender in its provision of services.
9-2 (9) "Non-profit supporting entities" means non-profit entities
9-3 created by the hospital or its parent entity to further the
9-4 charitable purposes of the hospital and that are owned or
9-5 controlled by the hospital or its parent entity.
9-6 (10) "Research related costs" means those amounts defined as
9-7 research related costs in Subchapter C, Section 311.031(11), Health
9-8 and Safety Code.
9-9 (11) "Tax-exempt benefits" means all of the following, calculated
9-10 in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and
9-11 practices for hospitals for tax purposes:
9-12 (a) the dollar amount of federal, state, and local taxes
9-13 foregone by a non-profit hospital and its non-profit supporting
9-14 entities. For purposes of this definition, federal, state, and
9-15 local taxes includes income, franchise, ad valorem, and sales tax;
9-16 (b) the dollar amount of contributions received by a
9-17 non-profit hospital and its non-profit supporting entities; and
9-18 (c) the value of tax-exempt bond financing received by a
9-19 non-profit hospital and its non-profit supporting entities.
9-20 (12) "Subsidized health services" means those amounts defined as
9-21 subsidized health services in Subchapter C, Section 331.031(12),
9-22 Health and Safety Code.
9-23 (13) "Unreimbursed costs" means costs as defined in Subchapter C,
9-24 Section 311.031(13), Health and Safety Code.
9-25 Section 311.041. Duty of Non-Profit Hospitals to Provide Community
9-26 Benefits.
9-27 (a) A non-profit hospital shall provide health care services to
10-1 the community and shall comply with all federal, state and local
10-2 government requirements for tax exemption. These health care
10-3 services to the community shall include charity care and may
10-4 include other components of community benefits as those terms are
10-5 defined in Section 311.031 and 311.040 of the Health and Safety
10-6 Code.
10-7 (b) In order to qualify as a charitable organization under Section
10-8 11.18, Section 151.310, and Section 171.063 of the Tax Code and to
10-9 satisfy the requirements of this Subchapter, a non-profit hospital
10-10 shall provide community benefits, which includes charity care, in
10-11 an amount that satisfies the requirements of Section 311.043 of
10-12 this Subchapter. A determination of the amount of charity care
10-13 provided by a hospital shall be based upon the most recently
10-14 completed and audited prior fiscal year of the hospital.
10-15 (c) Reductions in the amount of community benefits, which includes
10-16 charity care, provided by a non-profit hospital shall be considered
10-17 reasonable when the financial reserves of the hospital are reduced
10-18 to a level that the hospital would be in violation of any
10-19 applicable bond requirements, when necessary to prevent the
10-20 hospital from endangering its ability to continue operations, or if
10-21 the hospital, as a result of a natural or other disaster, is
10-22 required to substantially curtail its operations.
10-23 (d) A hospital's admissions policy must provide for the admission
10-24 of financially indigent and medically indigent persons pursuant to
10-25 its charity care requirements as set forth in this Subchapter.
10-26 Section 311.042. Community Benefits Planning by Non-Profit
10-27 Hospitals.
11-1 (a) A non-profit hospital shall develop:
11-2 (1) an organizational mission statement that identifies the
11-3 hospital's commitment to serving the health care needs of the
11-4 community; and
11-5 (2) a community benefits plan defined as an operational plan
11-6 for serving the community's health care needs that sets out goals
11-7 and objectives for providing community benefits that include
11-8 charity care, as both the terms community benefits and charity care
11-9 are defined by Section 311.040, and that identifies the population
11-10 and communities served by the hospital.
11-11 (b) When developing the community benefits plan, the hospital
11-12 shall consider the health care needs of the community as determined
11-13 by community-wide needs assessments. For purposes of this
11-14 subsection, "community" means the primary geographic area and
11-15 patient categories for which the hospital provides health care
11-16 services; provided, however, that the primary geographic area shall
11-17 at least encompass the entire county in which the hospital is
11-18 located.
11-19 (c) The hospital shall include at least the following elements in
11-20 the community benefits plan:
11-21 (1) mechanisms to evaluate the plan's effectiveness,
11-22 including but not limited to, a method for soliciting the views of
11-23 the communities served by the hospital;
11-24 (2) measurable objectives to be achieved within a specified
11-25 timeframe; and
11-26 (3) a budget for the plan.
11-27 Section 311.043. Community Benefits and Charity Care Requirements
12-1 (a) A non-profit hospital shall make a determination each
12-2 year concerning the standard by which the hospital will satisfy the
12-3 requirements of Section 11.18, Section 151.310, and Section 171.063
12-4 of the Tax Code and this Subchapter to provide community benefits,
12-5 which includes charity care. This determination shall be made no
12-6 later than the 30th day after the date on which the hospital's
12-7 fiscal year begins, by filing a statement of election with the
12-8 Bureau of State Health Policy and Data Analysis at the department
12-9 and with the Chief Appraiser of the local appraisal district.
12-10 (b) A non-profit hospital may elect to provide community
12-11 benefits, which includes charity care, according to any of the
12-12 following standards:
12-13 (1) charity care is provided at a level which is
12-14 reasonable in relation to the community needs, as determined
12-15 through the community needs assessment, the available resources of
12-16 the hospital, and the federal and state tax-exempt benefits
12-17 received by the hospital;
12-18 (2) charity care is provided in an amount equal to
12-19 four per cent of the hospital's net patient revenue; or
12-20 (3) charity care is provided in an amount equal to one
12-21 hundred per cent of the hospital's tax-exempt benefits, excluding
12-22 federal income tax.
12-23 (c) The providing of charity care in accordance with
12-24 subsection (b)(1) of this Section shall be guided by the prudent
12-25 business judgment of the board of directors who will ultimately
12-26 determine the appropriate level of charity care based upon the
12-27 community needs, the available resources of the hospital, the
13-1 tax-exempt benefits received by the hospital, and other factors
13-2 that may be unique to the hospital. These criterium shall not be
13-3 determinative factors, but shall be guidelines contributing to the
13-4 board of director's decision, along with other factors which may be
13-5 unique to the hospital. The formulas contained in (b)(2) and
13-6 (b)(3) shall also not be considered determinative of a reasonable
13-7 amount of charity care.
13-8 Section 311.044. Annual Report of Community Benefits Plan.
13-9 (a) A non-profit hospital shall prepare an annual report of the
13-10 community benefits plan and shall include in the report the
13-11 following information:
13-12 (1) the hospital's mission statement;
13-13 (2) a disclosure of the health care needs of the community
13-14 that were considered in developing the hospital's community
13-15 benefits plan pursuant to Section 311.042(b); and
13-16 (3) a disclosure of the amount and types of community
13-17 benefits, including charity care, actually provided. Charity care
13-18 shall be reported as a separate item from other community benefits.
13-19 (b) A non-profit hospital shall file the annual report of the
13-20 community benefits plan with the Bureau of State Health Policy and
13-21 Data Analysis at the department. The report shall be filed no
13-22 later than 120 days after the end of the hospital's fiscal year;
13-23 provided, however, that the first report shall be filed no later
13-24 than March 30, 1995.
13-25 (c) A non-profit hospital shall prepare a statement that notifies
13-26 the public that the annual report of the community benefits plan is
13-27 public information; that it is filed with the department; and that
14-1 it is available to the public upon request from the department.
14-2 The statement shall be posted in prominent places throughout the
14-3 hospital, including but not limited to the emergency room waiting
14-4 area and the admissions office waiting area. The statement shall
14-5 also be printed in the hospital patient guide or other material
14-6 that provides the patient with information about the admissions
14-7 criteria of the hospital.
14-8 Section 311.045. Remedies.
14-9 The department may assess a civil penalty against a non-profit
14-10 hospital that fails to make a report of the community benefits plan
14-11 as required under this subchapter.
14-12 (a) The penalty may not exceed $1000 for each day the report
14-13 is delinquent after the date upon which such reports are due.
14-14 (b) No penalty will be assessed against a hospital under
14-15 Subsection (a) until 10 business days have elapsed after written
14-16 notification to the hospital of its failure to file a report.
14-17 Section 311.046. Rights and Remedies.
14-18 The rights and remedies provided for in this Subchapter shall not
14-19 limit, affect, change, or repeal any other statutory or common-law
14-20 rights or remedies available to the state or a non-profit hospital.
14-21 SECTION 5. Chapter 11, Subchapter B, Section 11.18(d)(1), Tax
14-22 Code, is amended to read as follows:
14-23 (1) providing medical care without regard to the
14-24 beneficiaries ability to pay<;>, which in the case of a non-profit
14-25 hospital means providing charity care and community benefits as set
14-26 forth in (d)(1)(A), (B) or (C) below:
14-27 (A) charity care is provided at a level which is reasonable
15-1 in relation to the community needs, as determined through the
15-2 community needs assessment, the available resources of the
15-3 hospital, and the tax-exempt benefits received by the hospital;
15-4 (B) charity care is provided in an amount equal to four per
15-5 cent of the hospital's net patient revenue; or
15-6 (C) charity care is provided in an amount equal to one
15-7 hundred per cent of the hospital's tax-exempt benefits, excluding
15-8 federal income tax.
15-9 For purposes of this subsection, the terms "charity care",
15-10 "net patient revenues", "non-profit hospital", and "tax-exempt
15-11 benefits" have the meanings set forth in Section 311.031 and
15-12 311.040 of the Health and Safety Code. A determination of the
15-13 amount of community benefits and charity care provided by a
15-14 hospital and the hospital's compliance with the requirements of
15-15 Section 311.043 of the Health and Safety Code shall be based upon
15-16 the most recently completed and audited prior fiscal year of the
15-17 hospital.
15-18 The requirements of this subsection shall not apply to the
15-19 extent a hospital demonstrates that reductions in the amount of
15-20 community benefits or charity care are necessary to maintain
15-21 financial reserves at a level required by a bond covenant, are
15-22 necessary to prevent the hospital from endangering its ability to
15-23 continue operations, or if the hospital, as a result of a natural
15-24 or other disaster, is required to substantially curtail its
15-25 operations.
15-26 SECTION 6. Chapter 151, Subchapter H, Section 151.310, Tax Code,
15-27 is amended by adding a new subsection (e) to read as follows:
16-1 (e) A non-profit hospital that qualifies for an exemption under
16-2 subsection (A)(2) of this section shall provide charity care and
16-3 community benefits as set forth in (e)(1), (2), or (3) below:
16-4 (1) charity care is provided at a level which is reasonable
16-5 in relation to the community needs assessment, the available
16-6 resources of the hospital, and the tax-exempt benefits received by
16-7 the hospital;
16-8 (2) charity care is provided in an amount equal to four
16-9 percent of the hospital's net patient revenue; or
16-10 (3) charity care is provided in an amount equal to one
16-11 hundred percent of the hospital's tax-exempt benefits, excluding
16-12 federal income tax.
16-13 For purposes of this subsection, the terms "charity care",
16-14 "net patient revenues", "non-profit hospital", and "tax-exempt
16-15 benefits" have the meaning set forth in Section 311.031 and 311.040
16-16 of the Health and Safety Code. A determination of the amount of
16-17 community benefits and charity care provided by a hospital and the
16-18 hospital's compliance with the requirements of this subsection and
16-19 Section 311.043 of the Health and Safety Code shall be based upon
16-20 the most recently completed and audited prior fiscal year of the
16-21 hospital.
16-22 The requirement of this subsection shall not apply to the
16-23 extent a hospital demonstrates that reductions in the amount of
16-24 community benefits or charity care are necessary to maintain
16-25 financial reserves at a level required by a bond covenant, are
16-26 necessary to prevent the hospital from endangering its ability to
16-27 continue operations, or if the hospital, as a result of a natural
17-1 or other disaster, is required to substantially curtail its
17-2 operations.
17-3 SECTION 7. Chapter 171, Subchapter B, Section 171.063(a)(1), Tax
17-4 Code, is amended to read as follows:
17-5 (1) a nonprofit corporation exempted from the federal tax under
17-6 Section 501(c)(3), (4), (5), (6), or (7) of the Internal Revenue
17-7 Code of 1954, as it existed on January 1, 1975; which in the case
17-8 of a non-profit hospital means a hospital providing charity care
17-9 and community benefits as set forth in (a)(1)(A), (B), or (C)
17-10 below:
17-11 (A) charity care is provided at a level which is reasonable
17-12 in relation to the community needs, as determined through the
17-13 community needs assessment, the available resources of the
17-14 hospital, and the tax-exempt benefits received by the hospital;
17-15 (B) charity care is provided in an amount equal to four
17-16 percent of the hospital's net patient revenue; or
17-17 (C) charity care is provided in an amount equal to one
17-18 hundred percent of the hospital's tax-exempt benefits, excluding
17-19 federal income tax.
17-20 For purposes of this subsection, the terms "charity care",
17-21 "net patient revenues", "non-profit hospital", and "tax-exempt
17-22 benefits" have the meaning set forth in Section 311.031 and 311.040
17-23 of the Health and Safety Code. A determination of the amount of
17-24 community benefits and charity care provided by a hospital and the
17-25 hospital's compliance with the requirements of this subsection and
17-26 Section 311.043 of the Health and Safety Code shall be based upon
17-27 the most recently completed and audited prior fiscal year of the
18-1 hospital.
18-2 The requirement of this subsection shall not apply to the
18-3 extent a hospital demonstrates that reductions in the amount of
18-4 community benefits or charity care are necessary to maintain
18-5 financial reserves at a level required by a bond covenant,
18-6 necessary to prevent the hospital from endangering its ability to
18-7 continue operations, or if the hospital, as a result of a natural
18-8 or other disaster, is required to substantially curtail its
18-9 operations.
18-10 SECTION 8. If any provisions of the amendments made to Subchapter
18-11 C, or of Subchapter D, are or become invalid, illegal, or
18-12 unenforceable in any respect, the remaining provisions shall not be
18-13 in any way affected or impaired.
18-14 SECTION 9. This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
18-15 SECTION 10. The importance of this legislation and the crowded
18-16 condition of the calendars in both houses create an emergency and
18-17 an imperative public necessity that the constitutional rule
18-18 requiring bills to be read on three several days in each house be
18-19 suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.