By Coleman                                            H.B. No. 2682
         76R6578 MXM-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to a study of the Harris County Hospital District.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  COMMISSION TO STUDY AND REPORT ON HARRIS COUNTY
 1-5     HOSPITAL DISTRICT.  (a)  In this section:
 1-6                 (1)  "Commission" means the study commission created by
 1-7     this section.
 1-8                 (2)  "District" means the Harris County Hospital
 1-9     District.
1-10           (b)  A commission is created for the district to assist this
1-11     state in studying that district.
1-12           (c)  A commission is composed of:
1-13                 (1)  four members of the house of representatives,
1-14     appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;
1-15                 (2)  four members of the senate, appointed by the
1-16     lieutenant governor; and
1-17                 (3)  three members of the general public who reside in
1-18     Harris County, appointed by the governor.
1-19           (d)  A member of the commission serves at the will of the
1-20     appointing person.
1-21           (e)  The governor shall appoint a public member of the
1-22     commission to serve as presiding officer, and members of the
1-23     commission shall elect any other necessary officers.
1-24           (f)  The commission shall meet at the call of the presiding
 2-1     officer.
 2-2           (g)  A member of the commission receives no compensation for
 2-3     serving on the commission.
 2-4           (h)  The commission shall study the following:
 2-5                 (1)  the manner in which the district is governed,
 2-6     including:
 2-7                       (A)  the role of medical schools in governing the
 2-8     district;
 2-9                       (B)  whether a private institution should be
2-10     involved in governing the district; and
2-11                       (C)  the amount and type of autonomy and
2-12     accountability a  governing body should have;
2-13                 (2)  methods for funding a district; and
2-14                 (3)  any other issues identified by the commission
2-15     regarding a district's function to provide:
2-16                       (A)  care to the indigent; and
2-17                       (B)  trauma care to the general population.
2-18           (i)  Not later than November 1, 2000, the commission shall
2-19     file a report containing the results of the study under Subsection
2-20     (h) of this section with the governor, lieutenant governor, and
2-21     speaker of the house of representatives.
2-22           SECTION 2.  APPOINTMENTS.  Each appointment to a study
2-23     commission created under this Act shall be made by July 1, 1999.
2-24           SECTION 3.  EMERGENCY.  The importance of this legislation
2-25     and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-26     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-27     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 3-1     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
 3-2     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
 3-3     passage, and it is so enacted.