1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to certain agreements to provide health care services

 1-3     under the Indigent Health Care and Treatment Act.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 61.025(e), Health and Safety Code, is

 1-6     amended to read as follows:

 1-7           (e)  The agreement to transfer partial responsibility to a

 1-8     county under this section must take effect on a September 1 that

 1-9     occurs not later than two years after the date on which the county

1-10     and municipality agree to the transfer.  A county and municipality

1-11     may not revoke or amend an agreement made under this section,

1-12     except that the county may revoke or amend the agreement if a

1-13     hospital  district is created after the effective date of the

1-14     agreement and the boundaries of the district cover all or part of

1-15     the county.

1-16           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-17     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-18     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-19     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-20     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-21     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-22     passage, and it is so enacted.

         _______________________________     _______________________________

             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House

               I certify that H.B. No. 2397 was passed by the House on May

         2, 1997, by a non-record vote.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Chief Clerk of the House

               I certify that H.B. No. 2397 was passed by the Senate on May

         26, 1997, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Secretary of the Senate

         APPROVED:  _____________________

                            Date

                    _____________________

                          Governor