BILL ANALYSIS



C.S.S.B. 993
By: Barrientos, Wentworth (Maxey, Combs, Greenberg, Naishtat,
Dukes)
May 6, 1995
Committee Report (Substituted)


BACKGROUND

The City of Austin is attempting to facilitate and improve the
availability, accessibility, and cost of health care services to
its residents by leasing Brackenridge Hospital for operation on a
non-profit basis.  The lease involves the city hospital and another
hospital currently operating health care facilities in the City of
Austin.

PURPOSE

This legislation clarifies that a non-profit organization can
operate a health care facility on the City of Austin plat in which
Brackenridge Hospital is currently located.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly
grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer,
department, agency, or institution.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1  Clarifies legislative intent of H.B. 2837.

SECTION 2  Section 2, Chapter 492, Acts of the 67th Legislature,
           Regular Session, 1981, is amended by amending Section
           2 and adding Section 2A as follows:  

           Section 2 enables the City of Austin to allow a non-profit organization to operate a health care facility
           on the specific plat mentioned, regardless of whether
           the lease might be considered to be anticompetitive,
           provided that the organization operating the hospital
           shall continue to provide a similar level of charity
           care.

SECTION 3  Emergency clause.
           Effective upon passage.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

The substitute makes several non-substantive, technical changes to
clarify language in the original bill.  In addition, the substitute
adds language stating that the non-profit organization shall
continue to provide a similar level of charity care.

SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE ACTION

S.B. 993 was considered by the committee in a formal meeting on May
5, 1995.

The committee considered a complete substitute for the bill.  The
substitute was adopted without objection.

The bill was reported favorably as substituted, with the
recommendation that it do pass and be printed and be sent to the
Committee on Local and Consent Calendars, by a record vote of 5
ayes, 0 nays, 0 pnv, 4 absent.