HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1-1 WHEREAS, In 1967, the 60th Texas Legislature authorized the
1-2 creation of the Lubbock County Hospital District pursuant to
1-3 Section 9, Article IX, Texas Constitution, which allows the
1-4 legislature to provide for the creation, operation, and maintenance
1-5 or dissolution of such districts; and
1-6 WHEREAS, Given full responsibility for providing medical and
1-7 hospital care for district residents, hospital districts also are
1-8 granted exclusive authority to levy property taxes or issue bonds
1-9 or other obligations for hospital purposes or for the provision of
1-10 medical care within each district's boundaries; and
1-11 WHEREAS, In 1969, the 61st Legislature created the Texas Tech
1-12 University School of Medicine, which later became the Texas Tech
1-13 University Health Sciences Center; comprising schools of medicine,
1-14 nursing, allied health, pharmacy, and a graduate school of
1-15 biomedical sciences, the center is charged with providing quality
1-16 education for health care professionals and developing academic,
1-17 biomedical research, patient care, and community outreach services
1-18 programs to meet the needs of the 108 counties of West Texas; and
1-19 WHEREAS, Charged with different but complementary missions,
1-20 the health sciences center and the hospital district have
1-21 established a cooperative relationship for their mutual benefit and
1-22 their respective constituencies; and
1-23 WHEREAS, For example, the hospital district owns and operates
1-24 a hospital that serves as a teaching hospital for the medical
2-1 school; the hospital district also provides substantial financial
2-2 support to the center, and in 1998 increased its funding by $4
2-3 million, a significant proportion of the district's annual budget,
2-4 to support physician residency training and medical directors; and
2-5 WHEREAS, For 1998, the Lubbock County Hospital District
2-6 levied taxes at a rate of 9.91 cents per $100 valuation on a
2-7 property tax base of nearly $7.2 billion for net tax revenues of
2-8 more than $7 million for the year; and
2-9 WHEREAS, The district also derives income from investments,
2-10 which in the past consisted of purchases of federally guaranteed
2-11 treasury bills and bonds, safe investments that return small but
2-12 protected dividends; in 1996, however, the hospital district's
2-13 board approved a higher-risk investment policy authorizing
2-14 investments in debt issues from federal agencies such as the
2-15 Government National Mortgage Association, the Federal Farm Credit
2-16 Bureau, and the Federal National Mortgage Association; and
2-17 WHEREAS, Aside from local tax revenues and investment income,
2-18 the district also counts on government reimbursement for services
2-19 rendered through federal programs such as Medicaid and Medicare,
2-20 but the revenue stream from those sources is anticipated to
2-21 continue declining as a result of program changes; and
2-22 WHEREAS, Because the hospital district was created under the
2-23 legislature's authority and because of its relationship with a
2-24 state-funded institution, the state has an interest in ensuring
2-25 sound fiscal management of the district's financial affairs, as
2-26 well as its medical responsibilities, to the extent that they
2-27 affect the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center; now,
3-1 therefore, be it
3-2 RESOLVED, That the 76th Legislature of the State of Texas
3-3 hereby request the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house
3-4 of representatives to create a legislative oversight committee with
3-5 jurisdiction over the Lubbock County Hospital District and its
3-6 relationship to Texas Tech University; and, be it further
3-7 RESOLVED, That the committee be composed of two members of
3-8 the senate appointed by the lieutenant governor and two members of
3-9 the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house
3-10 of representatives; and, be it further
3-11 RESOLVED, That the committee be given the power to hold
3-12 hearings on any matter pertaining to the relationship between the
3-13 hospital district and the university health sciences center and to
3-14 issue due process in accordance with Section 301.024, Government
3-15 Code, to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of
3-16 books, records, documents, and instruments required by the
3-17 committee; and, be it further
3-18 RESOLVED, That the legislative oversight committee's
3-19 proceedings and operations be governed by such general rules and
3-20 policies for joint interim committees as the 76th Legislature may
3-21 adopt and that such rules and policies supersede the provisions of
3-22 this resolution to the extent of any conflict; and, be it further
3-23 RESOLVED, That the committee submit a full report, including
3-24 findings and recommendations, to the 77th Texas Legislature when it
3-25 convenes in January 2001.
Jones of Lubbock
_______________________________ _______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.C.R. No. 277 was adopted by the House on May
12, 1999, by a non-record vote.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.C.R. No. 277 was adopted by the Senate on
May 26, 1999, by a viva-voce vote.
_______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: _____________________
Date
_____________________
Governor