By Zaffirini                                     S.B. No. 802

      75R3693 DLF-F                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to collection of certain information from certain

 1-3     hospitals.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 108.009(c), Health and Safety Code, is

 1-6     amended to read as follows:

 1-7           (c)  A rural provider may, but is not required to, provide

 1-8     the data required by this chapter [section]. A hospital may, but is

 1-9     not required to, provide the data required by this chapter if the

1-10     hospital:

1-11                 (1)  is exempt from state franchise, sales, ad valorem,

1-12     or other state or local taxes; and

1-13                 (2)  does not seek or receive reimbursement for

1-14     providing health care services to patients from any source,

1-15     including:

1-16                       (A)  the patient or any person legally obligated

1-17     to support the patient;

1-18                       (B)  a third party payor; or

1-19                       (C)  Medicaid, Medicare, or any other federal,

1-20     state, or local program for indigent health care.

1-21           SECTION 2.  Subchapter C, Chapter 311, Health and Safety

1-22     Code, is amended by adding Section 311.039 to read as follows:

1-23           Sec. 311.039.  EXEMPTION.  A hospital may, but is not

1-24     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.  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.