73R9795 DLF-F By Clemons H.B. No. 1971 Substitute the following for H.B. No. 1971: By Denton C.S.H.B. No. 1971 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to claims against nonprofit hospital corporations having a 1-3 patient mix of 50 percent or more of certain indigent persons. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 221, Health and Safety 1-6 Code, is amended by adding Section 221.069 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 221.069. LIABILITY OF CERTAIN FACILITIES. (a) This 1-8 section applies to a nonprofit hospital corporation: 1-9 (1) that has a patient mix of 50 percent or more 1-10 persons who are eligible for Medicare, Medicaid, or charity care or 1-11 who are indigent at the time a cause of action is alleged to have 1-12 accrued; 1-13 (2) for which nonprofit hospital corporation bonds or 1-14 other obligations are or have been issued by a development 1-15 corporation; and 1-16 (3) located in a county with a population of not more 1-17 than 100,000. 1-18 (b) A nonprofit hospital corporation to which this section 1-19 applies is a governmental unit that is a unit of local government 1-20 for purposes of Chapter 101, Civil Practice and Remedies Code. 1-21 (c) A nonprofit hospital corporation to which this section 1-22 applies may indemnify and defend its officers and employees of the 1-23 corporation in the same manner as a local government may indemnify 2-1 and defend its employees under Chapter 102, Civil Practice and 2-2 Remedies Code. 2-3 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1993, and 2-4 applies only to a cause of action filed on or after that date. An 2-5 action filed before the effective date of this Act is governed by 2-6 the law in effect immediately before the effective date of this 2-7 Act, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose. 2-8 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-9 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-10 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-11 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-12 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.