BWH C.S.H.B. 794 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS COUNTY AFFAIRS C.S.H.B. 794 By: Rodriguez 3-5-97 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND Current law provides the authority for a hospital district to contract with certain hospitals, the federal government, State of Texas, other hospital districts, and municipalities. However, any hospitals outside the hospital's district boundary are excluded from this authority. This provides a detrimental degree of inflexibility in the exisiting law whereby a broader collaborative effort among two separate hospital districts may not be utilized under Section 281.051 of the Health and Safety Code. At times, the ability of two or more hospital districts to contract for services with each other could prove very beneficial under certain circumstances. PURPOSE This bill amends existing law to permit more flexibility in contracting between hospital districts. 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. C.S.H.B. 794 amends Section 281.051 of the Health and Safety Code as follows: 1) Strikes Subsections (a)(3) and (4); 2) Adds a new Subsection (a)(3) to include other governmental agencies; 3) Strikes Subsections (b) to remove certain criteria which must be met to enter into a contract; and 4) Reletters existing Subsections (c) and (d). SECTION 2. Effective Date: September 1, 1997. SECTION 3. Emergency Clause. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.H.B. 794 amends SECTION 1. of H.B. 794 by: 1) reinstating private hospitals as a category that can contract with a hospital district under Subsection 281.051(a), Health and Safety Code; and 2) reinstating Subsection (c) regarding the authority of a commissioners court to approve contract between the board and a governmental entitity.