1-1     By:  Kuempel (Senate Sponsor - Wentworth)             H.B. No. 2556

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 8, 1997;

 1-3     May 9, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on Health

 1-4     and Human Services; May 18, 1997, reported favorably by the

 1-5     following vote:  Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 18, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to eligibility for state assistance under the Indigent

 1-9     Health Care and Treatment Act for certain hospitals.

1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-11           SECTION 1.  Section 61.037, Health and Safety Code, is

1-12     amended to read as follows:

1-13           Sec. 61.037.  COUNTY ELIGIBILITY FOR STATE ASSISTANCE.

1-14     (a)  The department may distribute funds as provided by this

1-15     subchapter to eligible counties to assist the counties in providing

1-16     mandatory health care services to their eligible county residents.

1-17           (b)  Except as provided by Subsection (c), [or] (d), or (e),

1-18     to be eligible for state assistance, a county must:

1-19                 (1)  spend in a state fiscal year at least 10 percent

1-20     of the county general revenue levy for that year to provide

1-21     mandatory health care services to its eligible county residents who

1-22     qualify for assistance under Section 61.006; and

1-23                 (2)  notify the department, not later than the seventh

1-24     day after the date on which the county reaches the expenditure

1-25     level, that the county has spent at least eight percent of the

1-26     applicable county general revenue levy for that year to provide

1-27     mandatory health care services to its eligible county residents who

1-28     qualify for assistance under Section 61.006.

1-29           (c)  If a county and a health care provider signed a contract

1-30     on or before January 1, 1985, under which the provider agrees to

1-31     furnish a certain level of health care services to indigent

1-32     persons, the value of services furnished in a state fiscal year

1-33     under the contract is included as part of the computation of a

1-34     county expenditure under this section if the value of services does

1-35     not exceed the payment rate established by the department under

1-36     Section 61.006.

1-37           (d)  If a hospital district is located in part but not all of

1-38     a county, that county's appraisal district shall determine the

1-39     taxable value of the property located inside the county but outside

1-40     the hospital district.  In determining eligibility for state

1-41     assistance, that county shall consider only the county general

1-42     revenue levy resulting from the property located outside the

1-43     hospital district.  A county is eligible for state assistance if:

1-44                 (1)  the county spends in a state fiscal year at least

1-45     10 percent of the county general revenue levy for that year

1-46     resulting from the property located outside the hospital district

1-47     to provide mandatory health care services to its eligible county

1-48     residents who qualify for assistance under Section 61.006; and

1-49                 (2)  the county complies with the other requirements of

1-50     this subchapter.

1-51           (e)  A county that provides mandatory health care services to

1-52     its eligible residents through a hospital established by a board of

1-53     managers jointly appointed by a county and a municipality under

1-54     Section 265.011 is eligible for state assistance if:

1-55                 (1)  the county spends in a state fiscal year at least

1-56     10 percent of the county general revenue levy for the year to

1-57     provide mandatory health care services to its eligible county

1-58     residents who qualify for assistance under Section 61.006; and

1-59                 (2)  the county complies with the requirements of this

1-60     subchapter.

1-61           (f)  If a county anticipates that it will reach the 10

1-62     percent expenditure level, the county must notify the department as

1-63     soon as possible before the anticipated date on which the county

1-64     will reach the level.

 2-1           (g) [(f)]  The county must give the department all necessary

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

 2-3     meets the requirements of Subsection (b), [or] (d), or (e).

 2-4           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-5     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-6     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-7     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-8     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 2-9     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

2-10     passage, and it is so enacted.

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