By:  Lindsay                                           S.B. No. 995
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                       AN ACT
 1-1     relating to a study of the Harris County Hospital District.
 1-2           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-3           SECTION 1.  COMMISSION TO STUDY AND REPORT ON HARRIS COUNTY
 1-4     HOSPITAL DISTRICT.  (a)  In this section:
 1-5                 (1)  "Commission" means the study commission created by
 1-6     this section.
 1-7                 (2)  "District" means the Harris County Hospital
 1-8     District.
 1-9           (b)  A commission is created for the district to assist this
1-10     state in studying that district.
1-11           (c)  A commission is composed of:
1-12                 (1)  four members of the house of representatives,
1-13     appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;
1-14                 (2)  four members of the senate, appointed by the
1-15     lieutenant governor; and
1-16                 (3)  three members of the general public who reside in
1-17     Harris County, appointed by the governor.
1-18           (d)  A member of the commission serves at the will of the
1-19     appointing person.
1-20           (e)  The governor shall appoint a public member of the
1-21     commission to serve as presiding officer, and members of the
1-22     commission shall elect any other necessary officers.
1-23           (f)  The commission shall meet at the call of the presiding
1-24     officer.
 2-1           (g)  A member of the commission receives no compensation for
 2-2     serving on the commission.
 2-3           (h)  The commission shall study the following:
 2-4                 (1)  the manner in which the district is governed,
 2-5     including:
 2-6                       (A)  the role of medical schools in governing the
 2-7     district;
 2-8                       (B)  whether a private institution should be
 2-9     involved in governing the district; and
2-10                       (C)  the amount and type of autonomy and
2-11     accountability a governing body should have;
2-12                 (2)  methods for funding a district; and
2-13                 (3)  any other issues identified by the commission
2-14     regarding a district's function to provide:
2-15                       (A)  care to the indigent; and
2-16                       (B)  trauma care to the general population.
2-17           (i)  Not later than November 1, 2000, the commission shall
2-18     file a report containing the results of the study under Subsection
2-19     (h) of this section with the governor, lieutenant governor, and
2-20     speaker of the house of representatives.
2-21           SECTION 2.  APPOINTMENTS.  Each appointment to the study
2-22     commission established by Section 1 of this Act shall be made by
2-23     July 1, 1999.
2-24           SECTION 3.  ABOLISHMENT; EXPIRATION.  On January 1, 2001, the
2-25     study commission established by Section 1 of this Act is abolished
2-26     and this Act expires.
 3-1           SECTION 4.  EMERGENCY.  The importance of this legislation
 3-2     and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 3-3     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 3-4     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 3-5     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
 3-6     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
 3-7     passage, and it is so enacted.