By Jones of Lubbock H.B. No. 2962
76R8104 CMR-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the election of the board of hospital managers of the
1-3 Lubbock County Hospital District.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 8, Chapter 484, Acts of the 60th
1-6 Legislature, Regular Session, 1967, is amended to read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 8. BOARD OF HOSPITAL MANAGERS. The district is
1-8 governed by a board of seven hospital managers to be elected at
1-9 large from the entire district. To be qualified to serve as a
1-10 hospital manager a person must be at least 21 years old and a
1-11 qualified voter within the district. An election shall be held in
1-12 accordance with Chapter 41, Election Code. The term of a director
1-13 shall be two years, and three directors shall be elected in
1-14 odd-numbered years and four shall be elected in even-numbered
1-15 years. The hospital managers serve [The commissioners court shall
1-16 appoint a board of hospital managers, consisting of not less than
1-17 five nor more than seven members, who shall serve for a term of two
1-18 years, with overlapping terms if desired, and with initial
1-19 appointments to terms of office arranged accordingly,] without
1-20 pay[,] and [whose duties] shall [be to] manage, control and
1-21 administer the hospital or hospital system, including medical
1-22 facilities or other health facilities, of the hospital district.
1-23 The board of managers shall have the power and authority to sue and
1-24 be sued and to promulgate rules and regulations for the operation
2-1 of the hospital or hospital system, including medical facilities or
2-2 other health facilities.
2-3 The board shall appoint a general manager, to be known as the
2-4 administrator of the hospital district. The administrator shall
2-5 hold office for a term not to exceed two years, and shall receive
2-6 such compensation as may be fixed by the board. The administrator
2-7 shall be subject to removal at any time by the board. The
2-8 administrator shall, before entering into the discharge of his
2-9 duties, execute a bond payable to the district, in the amount of
2-10 not less than $10,000, conditioned that he shall well and
2-11 faithfully perform the duties required of him, and containing such
2-12 other conditions as the board may require. The administrator shall
2-13 perform all duties which may be required of him by the board, and
2-14 shall supervise all of the work and activities of the district and
2-15 have general direction of the affairs of the district, within such
2-16 limitations as may be prescribed by the board. He shall be a
2-17 person qualified by training and experience for the position of
2-18 administrator.
2-19 The board of managers shall have the authority to appoint to
2-20 the staff such doctors, and employ such technicians, nurses and
2-21 other employees of every kind and character as may be deemed
2-22 advisable for the efficient operation of the hospital or hospital
2-23 system, including medical facilities or other health facilities;
2-24 provided that no contract or term of employment shall exceed the
2-25 period of two years.
2-26 The board of managers, with the approval of the commissioners
2-27 court shall be authorized to contract with any county for care and
3-1 treatment of such county's sick, diseased and injured persons, and
3-2 with the state and agencies of the federal government for the care
3-3 and treatment of such persons for whom the state and such agencies
3-4 of the federal government are responsible. Further, under the same
3-5 conditions, the board of managers may enter into such contracts
3-6 with the state and federal government as may be necessary to
3-7 establish or continue a retirement program for the benefit of its
3-8 employees.
3-9 A majority of the board of hospital managers shall constitute
3-10 a quorum for the transaction of any business. From among its
3-11 members, the board shall choose a chairman, who shall preside; or
3-12 in his absence a chairman pro tem shall preside; and the
3-13 administrator or any member of the board may be appointed
3-14 secretary. The board shall require the secretary to keep suitable
3-15 records of all proceedings of each meeting of the board. Such
3-16 record shall be read and signed after each meeting by the chairman
3-17 or the member presiding, and attested by the secretary. The board
3-18 shall have a seal, on which shall be engraved the name of the
3-19 hospital district; and said seal shall be kept by the secretary and
3-20 used in authentication of all acts of the board.
3-21 SECTION 2. (a) This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
3-22 (b) An election for the board of managers of the Lubbock
3-23 County Hospital District shall be held under this Act on May 6,
3-24 2000, and seven hospital managers shall be elected. The four
3-25 hospital managers who receive the four highest number of total
3-26 votes cast at the election shall serve two-year terms and the three
3-27 hospital managers who receive the fifth-, sixth-, and
4-1 seventh-highest number of total votes cast at the election shall
4-2 serve one-year terms.
4-3 (c) The board of hospital managers, as it existed
4-4 immediately before the effective date of this Act, continues as the
4-5 Lubbock County Hospital District's governing body until a majority
4-6 of the board of hospital managers elected on May 6, 2000, take
4-7 office, and the former law is continued in effect for this purpose.
4-8 The terms of the hospital managers serving immediately before the
4-9 effective date of this Act expire when a majority of the directors
4-10 elected on May 6, 2000, take office.
4-11 (d) Service on the board of hospital managers of the Lubbock
4-12 County Hospital District before May 6, 2000, does not make a person
4-13 ineligible for election as a hospital manager of the district on
4-14 May 6, 2000, or a subsequent election date.
4-15 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
4-16 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
4-17 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
4-18 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
4-19 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.