SRC-SLL H.B. 3587 75(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center H.B. 3587 By: Hirschi (Haywood) Intergovernmental Relations 5-15-97 Engrossed DIGEST The Wichita General Hospital is seeking measures to lease the Bethania Regional Health Care Center. Texas antitrust laws provide for certain exemptions to county and city boards in order to lease hospital facilities. Precedent has been set in the Texas Legislature for state action immunity by the passage of laws allowing other county and city board hospital lease arrangements. This bill will provide regulations regarding the acquisition or lease of hospital facilities by certain county and municipal hospital boards. PURPOSE As proposed, H.B. 3587 provides regulations regarding the acquisition or lease of hospital facilities by certain county and municipal hospital boards. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 265.037, Health and Safety Code, by adding Subsection (d), to authorize a hospital board existing in a county with a population of a certain size or a municipality with population of a certain size, as an exercise of its powers of a public agency and body politic, to purchase, construct, receive, lease, or otherwise acquire hospital facilities, including the sublease of one or more hospital facilities, regardless of whether the action might be considered anticompetitive under the antitrust laws of the United States or this state. SECTION 2. Emergency clause. Effective date: 90 days after adjournment.