Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.

      Line and page numbers may not match official copy.

      By Kuempel                                      H.B. No. 2556

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to eligibility for state assistance under the Indigent

 1-3     Health Care & Treatment Act for a hospital managed jointly by a

 1-4     city and county.

 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-6           SECTION 1.  Section 61.037, Health and Safety Code, is

 1-7     amended to read as follows:

 1-8           (b)  Except as provided by Subsection (c), [or] (d) or (e),

 1-9     to be eligible for state assistance, a county must:

1-10                 (1)  spend in a state fiscal year at least 10 percent

1-11     of the county general revenue levy for that year to provide

1-12     mandatory health care services to its eligible county residents who

1-13     qualify for assistance under Section 61.006; and

1-14                 (2)  notify the department, not later than the seventh

1-15     day after the date on which the county reaches the expenditure

1-16     level, that the county has spent at least eight percent of the

1-17     applicable county general revenue levy for that year to provide

1-18     mandatory health care services to its eligible county residents who

1-19     qualify for assistance under Section 61.006.

1-20           (c)  If a county and a health care provider signed a contract

1-21     on or before January 1, 1985, under which the provider agrees to

1-22     furnish a certain level of health care services to indigent

1-23     persons, the value of services furnished in a state fiscal year

1-24     under the contract is included as part of the computation of a the

 2-1     hospital district. In determining eligibility for state assistance,

 2-2     that county shall consider only the county general revenue levy

 2-3     resulting from the property located outside the hospital district.

 2-4     A county is eligible for state assistance if:

 2-5                 (1)  the county spends in a state fiscal year at least

 2-6     10 percent of the county general revenue levy for that year

 2-7     resulting from the property located outside the hospital district

 2-8     to provide mandatory health care services to its eligible county

 2-9     residents who qualify for assistance under Section 61.006; and

2-10                 (2)  the county complies with the other requirements of

2-11     this subchapter.

2-12           (e)  For a hospital established under Health & Safety Code

2-13     265.011, which a county and a municipality jointly appoint a board

2-14     of managers for the hospital, the county is eligible for state

2-15     assistance if the county spends in a state fiscal year at least 10

2-16     percent of the county general revenue levy for the year to provide

2-17     mandatory health care services to its eligible county residents who

2-18     qualify for assistance under Section 61.006 and the county complies

2-19     with the requirements of this subchapter.

2-20           [(e)] (f)  If a county anticipates that it will reach the 10

2-21     percent expenditure level, the county must notify the department as

2-22     soon as possible before the anticipated date on which the county

2-23     will reach the level.

2-24           [(f)] (g)  The county must give the department all necessary

2-25     information so that the department can determine if the county

2-26     meets the requirements of Subsection (b) or (d).

2-27           [(g)] (h)  Expired.

2-28           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-29     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-30     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 3-1     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 3-2     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 3-3     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

 3-4     passage, and it is so enacted.