1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the operation of the Nixon Hospital District of
 1-3     Gonzales and Wilson Counties, Texas, and Gonzales Healthcare
 1-4     Systems.
 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-6           SECTION 1.  Section 3, Chapter 644, Acts of the 59th
 1-7     Legislature, Regular Session, 1965, is amended to read as follows:
 1-8           Sec. 3.  (a)  The District authorized to be created by this
 1-9     Act is charged with the responsibility of establishing a hospital
1-10     or a hospital system or a clinic within its boundaries to furnish
1-11     hospital and medical care to the residents of the District.  After
1-12     this District is created as provided in Section 4 of this Act, no
1-13     other municipality or political subdivision of this State may levy
1-14     taxes or issue bonds or other obligations of indebtedness for the
1-15     purpose of providing hospital service or medical care within the
1-16     District.  This District shall provide all necessary hospital and
1-17     medical care for the needy inhabitants of the District.
1-18           (b)  The District may contract with Gonzales Healthcare
1-19     Systems for Gonzales Healthcare Systems to lease, manage, or
1-20     operate a health care facility located in the District.
1-21           SECTION 2.  Section 10(a), Chapter 191, Acts of the 64th
1-22     Legislature, Regular Session, 1975, is amended to read as follows:
1-23           (a)  The board of directors is hereby given complete
1-24     discretion as to the type of buildings, both as to number and
 2-1     location, required to establish and maintain an adequate hospital
 2-2     system.  The hospital system may include facilities deemed
 2-3     necessary for hospital care by the directors.  The district,
 2-4     through its board of directors, is further authorized to enter into
 2-5     an operating or management contract with regard to its facilities
 2-6     or a part thereof or may lease all or part of its buildings and
 2-7     facilities on terms and conditions considered to be to the best
 2-8     interest of its inhabitants.  The district, through its board of
 2-9     directors, may contract with the Nixon Hospital District of
2-10     Gonzales and Wilson Counties, Texas, for the district to lease,
2-11     manage, or operate a health care facility located in the Nixon
2-12     Hospital District of Gonzales and Wilson Counties.  The district
2-13     shall be empowered to sell or otherwise dispose of any property,
2-14     real or personal, or equipment of any nature on terms and
2-15     conditions found by the board to be in the best interest of its
2-16     inhabitants.
2-17           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-18     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-19     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-20     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-21     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-22     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-23     passage, and it is so enacted.
         _______________________________     _______________________________
             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House
               I certify that H.B. No. 1666 was passed by the House on May
         11, 1999, by the following vote:  Yeas 148, Nays 0, 2 present, not
         voting.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Chief Clerk of the House
               I certify that H.B. No. 1666 was passed by the Senate on May
         26, 1999, by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 0.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Secretary of the Senate
         APPROVED:  _____________________
                            Date
                    _____________________
                          Governor