By:  Zaffirini                                         S.B. No. 802

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to collection of certain information from certain

 1-2     hospitals.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Subsection (c), Section 108.009, Health and

 1-5     Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:

 1-6           (c)  A rural provider may, but is not required to, provide

 1-7     the data required by this chapter [section].  A hospital may, but

 1-8     is not required to, provide the data required by this chapter if

 1-9     the hospital:

1-10                 (1)  is exempt from state franchise, sales, ad valorem,

1-11     or other state or local taxes; and

1-12                 (2)  does not seek or receive reimbursement for

1-13     providing health care services to patients from any source,

1-14     including:

1-15                       (A)  the patient or any person legally obligated

1-16     to support the patient;

1-17                       (B)  a third party payor; or

1-18                       (C)  Medicaid, Medicare, or any other federal,

1-19     state, or local program for indigent health care.

1-20           SECTION 2.  Subchapter C, Chapter 311, Health and Safety

1-21     Code, is amended by adding Section 311.039 to read as follows:

1-22           Sec. 311.039.  EXEMPTION.  A hospital may, but is not

1-23     required to, provide the data required by Section 311.033 if the

 2-1     hospital:

 2-2                 (1)  is exempt from state franchise, sales, ad valorem,

 2-3     or other state or local taxes; and

 2-4                 (2)  does not seek or receive reimbursement for

 2-5     providing health care services to patients from any source,

 2-6     including:

 2-7                       (A)  the patient or any person legally obligated

 2-8     to support the patient;

 2-9                       (B)  a third party payor; or

2-10                       (C)  Medicaid, Medicare, or any other federal,

2-11     state, or local program for indigent health care.

2-12           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-13     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-14     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-15     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-16     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

2-17     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

2-18     passage, and it is so enacted.