By:  Wentworth                                        S.B. No. 1138
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                       AN ACT
 1-1     relating to assistance funds for mandatory health care services
 1-2     provided in certain counties.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Subsection (e), Section 61.037, Health and Safety
 1-5     Code, is amended to read as follows:
 1-6           (e)  A county that provides mandatory health care services to
 1-7     its eligible residents through a hospital established by a board of
 1-8     managers jointly appointed by a county and a municipality under
 1-9     Section 265.011 is eligible for state assistance if:
1-10                 (1)  the county spends in a state fiscal year at least
1-11     10 percent of the county general revenue levy for the year to
1-12     provide mandatory health care services to its eligible county
1-13     residents who qualify for assistance under Section 61.052 [61.006];
1-14     and
1-15                 (2)  the county complies with the requirements of this
1-16     subchapter.
1-17           SECTION 2.  Subsection (a), Section 61.038, Health and Safety
1-18     Code, is amended to read as follows:
1-19           (a)  If the department determines that a county is eligible
1-20     for assistance, the department shall distribute funds appropriated
1-21     to the department from the indigent health care assistance fund or
1-22     any other available fund to the county to assist the county in
1-23     providing mandatory health care services to its eligible county
1-24     residents who qualify for assistance as described by Section
 2-1     61.037 [under Section 61.006].
 2-2           SECTION 3.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
 2-3     to state assistance under Chapter 61, Health and Safety Code, as
 2-4     amended by this Act, for mandatory health care services that are
 2-5     delivered on or after January 1, 2000.  State assistance for
 2-6     mandatory health care services that are delivered before January 1,
 2-7     2000, is governed by the law as it existed immediately before that
 2-8     date, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.