1-1     By:  Van de Putte, Longoria (Senate Sponsor - Madla)  H.B. No. 1567

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House April 21, 1997;

 1-3     April 22, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on

 1-4     Intergovernmental Relations; April 29, 1997, reported favorably by

 1-5     the following vote:  Yeas 10, Nays 0; April 29, 1997, sent to

 1-6     printer.)

 1-7                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-8                                   AN ACT

 1-9     relating to charitable organizations created by certain hospital

1-10     districts.

1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-12           SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 281, Health and Safety

1-13     Code, is amended by adding Section 281.0565 to read as follows:

1-14           Sec. 281.0565.  CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS.  (a)  In this

1-15     section, "charitable organization" means an organization that is

1-16     exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(a) of the Internal

1-17     Revenue Code of 1986 by being listed as an exempt organization in

1-18     Section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) of the code.

1-19           (b)  A district may create a charitable organization to

1-20     facilitate the management of a district health care program by

1-21     providing or arranging health care services, developing resources

1-22     for health care services, or providing ancillary support services

1-23     for the district.

1-24           (c)  A charitable organization created by a district under

1-25     this section is a unit of local government for purposes of Chapter

1-26     101, Civil Practice and Remedies Code.

1-27           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and

1-28     applies to a charitable organization regardless of the date on

1-29     which the organization was created.

1-30           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-31     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-32     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-33     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-34     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

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