BG C.S.H.B. 2556 75(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


PUBLIC HEALTH
C.S.H.B. 2556
By: Kuempel
4-24-97
Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND 

Section  61.037 of the Health and Safety Code stipulates that a county
must spend at least 10 percent of its annual general revenue levy to
provide mandatory health care services to its eligible residents who
qualify for indigent health care in order to be eligible for state
assistance. 

When the law was originally drafted, it did not include the 10 percent
eligibility provisions for those certain counties which provide care to
residents through a hospital established by a board of managers jointly
appointed by a county and a municipality. 

PURPOSE

C.S.H.B. 2556 allows a county that provides mandatory health care services
through a hospital established by a board of managers jointly appointed by
a county and a municipality, to be eligible to receive state assistance if
the county spends at least 10 percent of the county general revenue for
indigent health care in a fiscal year.   

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.  Amends Section 61.037,  Health and Safety Code, as follows:

Subsection (b) amends the exception clause to include the provisions of
subsection (e). Makes conforming changes. 

Subsection (e) is added to establish that a county providing mandatory
health care services  
to its eligible residents through a hospital established by a board of
managers jointly appointed by a county and a municipality, as specified,
is eligible to receive state assistance if the county spends in a fiscal
year at least 10 per cent of the county general revenue for indigent
health care; and complies with the requirements of the subchapter. 

Subsections (f) and (g) make conforming changes. 

SECTION 2.  Emergency clause. Establishes that this Act takes effect upon
passage. 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

The committee substitute is makes several technical corrections to the
original bill as recommended by the Legislative Council.