By:  Moncrief                                         S.B. No. 1051
         99S0720/1                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                       AN ACT
 1-1     relating to the enforcement of an arbitration order in certain
 1-2     disputes involving a licensed nursing facility and the Texas
 1-3     Department of Human Services.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter J, Chapter 242, Health and Safety
 1-6     Code, is amended by adding Section 242.269 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 242.269.  ENFORCEMENT OF ARBITRATION ORDER.  (a)  Upon
 1-8     application of a party, the district court in which the underlying
 1-9     lawsuit has been filed shall enter a judgment in conformity with
1-10     the arbitration award unless, within the time limits imposed under
1-11     Section 242.267, grounds are offered for vacating the order under
1-12     Section 242.267.
1-13           (b)  A judgment entered under Subsection (a) shall be
1-14     enforced in the same manner as any other judgment or decree.  The
1-15     court may award costs of the application under Subsection (a) and
1-16     of any proceeding to enforce an arbitrator's order under this
1-17     section.
1-18           SECTION 2.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
1-19     a cause of action that accrues on or after the effective date of
1-20     this Act.  A cause of action that accrues before the effective date
1-21     of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the cause
1-22     of action accrues, and that law is continued in effect for that
1-23     purpose.
1-24           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
 2-1           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
 2-2     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-3     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-4     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-5     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.