By:  Cain                                     S.B. No. 422

         97S0259/1                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to the licensure of a hospital with multiple premises

 1-2     under a single license and the provision of certain services by

 1-3     licensed hospitals.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 241.003, Health and Safety Code, is

 1-6     amended by adding a new Subdivision (11) and renumbering and

 1-7     amending existing Subdivision (11) to read as follows:

 1-8                 (11)  "Premises" means facilities located at the main

 1-9     address of the licensee and all other facilities included under the

1-10     single license so long as they are within a 30-mile radius of the

1-11     main address of the licensee, unless the licensee shows that:

1-12                       (A)  the inclusion of facilities within a greater

1-13     radius would be beneficial or advantageous to its management and

1-14     operations; and

1-15                       (B)  the facilities are all within the same

1-16     service area.

1-17                 (12)  "Special hospital" means an establishment that:

1-18                       (A)  offers services, facilities, and beds for

1-19     use for more than 24 hours for two or more unrelated individuals

1-20     who are regularly admitted, treated, and discharged and who require

1-21     services more intensive than room, board, personal services, and

1-22     general nursing care;

1-23                       (B)  has clinical laboratory facilities,

 2-1     diagnostic X-ray facilities, treatment facilities, or other

 2-2     definitive medical, obstetrical, or surgical treatment;

 2-3                       (C)  has a medical staff in regular attendance;

 2-4     and

 2-5                       (D)  maintains records of the clinical work

 2-6     performed for each patient.

 2-7           SECTION 2.  Section 241.022, Health and Safety Code, is

 2-8     amended by adding Subsection (f) to read as follows:

 2-9           (f)  Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to require a

2-10     hospital to include offsite outpatient services in its license

2-11     application.

2-12           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

2-13           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-14     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-15     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-16     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-17     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.