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.