1-1 By: Green (Senate Sponsor - Armbrister) H.B. No. 1666 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 11, 1999; 1-3 May 12, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on 1-4 Intergovernmental Relations; May 14, 1999, reported favorably by 1-5 the following vote: Yeas 4, Nays 0; May 14, 1999, sent to 1-6 printer.) 1-7 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-8 AN ACT 1-9 relating to the operation of the Nixon Hospital District of 1-10 Gonzales and Wilson Counties, Texas, and Gonzales Healthcare 1-11 Systems. 1-12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-13 SECTION 1. Section 3, Chapter 644, Acts of the 59th 1-14 Legislature, Regular Session, 1965, is amended to read as follows: 1-15 Sec. 3. (a) The District authorized to be created by this 1-16 Act is charged with the responsibility of establishing a hospital 1-17 or a hospital system or a clinic within its boundaries to furnish 1-18 hospital and medical care to the residents of the District. After 1-19 this District is created as provided in Section 4 of this Act, no 1-20 other municipality or political subdivision of this State may levy 1-21 taxes or issue bonds or other obligations of indebtedness for the 1-22 purpose of providing hospital service or medical care within the 1-23 District. This District shall provide all necessary hospital and 1-24 medical care for the needy inhabitants of the District. 1-25 (b) The District may contract with Gonzales Healthcare 1-26 Systems for Gonzales Healthcare Systems to lease, manage, or 1-27 operate a health care facility located in the District. 1-28 SECTION 2. Section 10(a), Chapter 191, Acts of the 64th 1-29 Legislature, Regular Session, 1975, is amended to read as follows: 1-30 (a) The board of directors is hereby given complete 1-31 discretion as to the type of buildings, both as to number and 1-32 location, required to establish and maintain an adequate hospital 1-33 system. The hospital system may include facilities deemed 1-34 necessary for hospital care by the directors. The district, 1-35 through its board of directors, is further authorized to enter into 1-36 an operating or management contract with regard to its facilities 1-37 or a part thereof or may lease all or part of its buildings and 1-38 facilities on terms and conditions considered to be to the best 1-39 interest of its inhabitants. The district, through its board of 1-40 directors, may contract with the Nixon Hospital District of 1-41 Gonzales and Wilson Counties, Texas, for the district to lease, 1-42 manage, or operate a health care facility located in the Nixon 1-43 Hospital District of Gonzales and Wilson Counties. The district 1-44 shall be empowered to sell or otherwise dispose of any property, 1-45 real or personal, or equipment of any nature on terms and 1-46 conditions found by the board to be in the best interest of its 1-47 inhabitants. 1-48 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 1-49 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-50 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-51 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-52 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 1-53 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 1-54 passage, and it is so enacted. 1-55 * * * * *