1-1     By:  Lindsay                                           S.B. No. 995
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 8, 1999; March 10, 1999, read
 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on Administration;
 1-4     April 7, 1999, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
 1-5     Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 4, Nays 0; April 7, 1999,
 1-6     sent to printer.)
 1-7     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 995                   By:  Harris
 1-8                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-9                                   AN ACT
1-10     relating to a study of the Harris County Hospital District.
1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-12           SECTION 1.  COMMISSION TO STUDY AND REPORT ON HARRIS COUNTY
1-13     HOSPITAL DISTRICT.  (a)  In this section:
1-14                 (1)  "Commission" means the study commission created by
1-15     this section.
1-16                 (2)  "District" means the Harris County Hospital
1-17     District.
1-18           (b)  A commission is created for the district to assist this
1-19     state in studying that district.
1-20           (c)  A commission is composed of:
1-21                 (1)  four members of the house of representatives,
1-22     appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;
1-23                 (2)  four members of the senate, appointed by the
1-24     lieutenant governor; and
1-25                 (3)  three members of the general public who reside in
1-26     Harris County, appointed by the governor.
1-27           (d)  A member of the commission serves at the will of the
1-28     appointing person.
1-29           (e)  The governor shall appoint a public member of the
1-30     commission to serve as presiding officer, and members of the
1-31     commission shall elect any other necessary officers.
1-32           (f)  The commission shall meet at the call of the presiding
1-33     officer.
1-34           (g)  A member of the commission receives no compensation for
1-35     serving on the commission.
1-36           (h)  The commission shall study the following:
1-37                 (1)  the manner in which the district is governed,
1-38     including:
1-39                       (A)  the role of medical schools in governing the
1-40     district;
1-41                       (B)  whether a private institution should be
1-42     involved in governing the district; and
1-43                       (C)  the amount and type of autonomy and
1-44     accountability a governing body should have;
1-45                 (2)  methods for funding a district; and
1-46                 (3)  any other issues identified by the commission
1-47     regarding a district's function to provide:
1-48                       (A)  care to the indigent; and
1-49                       (B)  trauma care to the general population.
1-50           (i)  Not later than November 1, 2000, the commission shall
1-51     file a report containing the results of the study under Subsection
1-52     (h) of this section with the governor, lieutenant governor, and
1-53     speaker of the house of representatives.
1-54           SECTION 2.  APPOINTMENTS.  Each appointment to the study
1-55     commission established by Section 1 of this Act shall be made by
1-56     July 1, 1999.
1-57           SECTION 3.  ABOLISHMENT; EXPIRATION.  On January 1, 2001, the
1-58     study commission established by Section 1 of this Act is abolished
1-59     and this Act expires.
1-60           SECTION 4.  EMERGENCY.  The importance of this legislation
1-61     and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-62     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-63     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-64     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
 2-1     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
 2-2     passage, and it is so enacted.
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