1-1     By:  Rhodes (Senate Sponsor - Armbrister)             H.B. No. 3566

 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

 1-4     Intergovernmental Relations; May 15, 1997, reported favorably by

 1-5     the following vote:  Yeas 11, Nays 0; May 15, 1997, sent to

 1-6     printer.)

 1-7                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-8                                   AN ACT

 1-9     relating to the Gonzales County Hospital District.

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

1-11           SECTION 1.  The name of the Gonzales County Hospital District

1-12     is changed to Gonzales Healthcare Systems.

1-13           SECTION 2.  Section 1, Chapter 191, Acts of the 64th

1-14     Legislature, Regular Session, 1975, is amended to read as follows:

1-15           Sec. 1.  In accordance with the provisions of Article IX,

1-16     Section 9, of the Texas Constitution, this Act authorizes the

1-17     creation, establishment, administration, maintenance, operation,

1-18     and financing of a hospital district within this state, the

1-19     boundaries of which shall include all of the land or territory in

1-20     Gonzales County, Texas, except those portions of the land or

1-21     territory comprising Nixon Hospital District of Gonzales and Wilson

1-22     Counties, Texas; Cuero Hospital District of DeWitt County, Texas;

1-23     Yoakum Hospital District; and Shiner Independent School District of

1-24     Shiner and Lavaca Counties, Texas, which lie within Gonzales

1-25     County, Texas (as each district existed on January 1, 1975), to be

1-26     known as Gonzales Healthcare Systems [County Hospital District]

1-27     with such rights, powers, and duties as provided in this Act.

1-28           SECTION 3.  Section 4(c), Chapter 191, Acts of the 64th

1-29     Legislature, Regular Session, 1975, is amended to read as follows:

1-30           (c)  At such time as the creation of the district is approved

1-31     and the returns of the election officially canvassed, the persons

1-32     then serving as temporary directors shall become permanent

1-33     directors of the district, shall execute the constitutional oath of

1-34     office as such, and shall divide themselves into two classes,

1-35     namely: class one, five persons to serve until the first Saturday

1-36     in April next following the election wherein the creation of said

1-37     district is approved, and class two, four persons to serve until

1-38     the first Saturday in April of the next succeeding year.

1-39     Successors of class one shall be elected by vote of the qualified

1-40     electors of the entire district for two-year terms.  Successors of

1-41     class two shall be elected by the qualified electors of the

1-42     commissioner's precinct to be represented, with one director to be

1-43     elected from each precinct, for two-year terms.  Notice of each

1-44     election shall be published in a newspaper or newspapers which

1-45     individually or collectively provide general circulation in the

1-46     district one time at least 45 [30] days prior to the date of the

1-47     election.  Any person desiring to have his name printed on the

1-48     ballot as a candidate for director shall file a petition signed by

1-49     at least 10 electors asking that such name be printed on the ballot

1-50     with the secretary of the board of directors.  The petition shall

1-51     be filed with the secretary at least 45 [30] days prior to the date

1-52     of the election.  Vacancies in office shall be filled for the

1-53     unexpired term by the remainder of the board of directors.

1-54           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-55     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-56     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-57     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-58     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-59     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-60     passage, and it is so enacted.

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