By: Shapleigh, Duncan S.B. No. 1660 Line and page numbers may not match official copy. Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E. A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT 1-1 relating to the establishment and operation of the Paso del Norte 1-2 Regional Health Institute. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Subtitle H, Title 3, Education Code, is amended 1-5 by adding Chapter 151 to read as follows: 1-6 CHAPTER 151. Paso del Norte Regional Health Institute 1-7 Sec. 151.001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "institute" 1-8 means the Paso del Norte Regional Health Institute, a collaboration 1-9 or consortium of independent public and private entities. 1-10 Sec. 151.002. ESTABLISHMENT; PURPOSE. (a) The Paso del 1-11 Norte Regional Health Institute is established in the city of El 1-12 Paso. 1-13 (b) The institute shall operate in a manner that facilitates 1-14 and assists the activities of international, national, regional, or 1-15 local health-related institutions working in the Texas-Mexico 1-16 border region to: 1-17 (1) allow for the creation and funding of centers or 1-18 component units within the institute to facilitate research in 1-19 fields of study affecting public health in the border region, 1-20 including research related but not limited to diabetes, Hispanic 1-21 health issues, infectious diseases, emerging infections, 1-22 environmental health issues, and children's health issues; 2-1 (2) deliver health care or provide health education to 2-2 persons living in the border region; and 2-3 (3) conduct and facilitate research in fields of study 2-4 affecting public health in the border region, including research 2-5 related to but not limited ot diabetes, Hispanic health issues, 2-6 infectious diseases, emerging infections, environmental health 2-7 issues, and children's health issues. 2-8 Sec. 151.003. INSTITUTE MEMBERSHIP. (a) The institute is 2-9 initially composed of the following institutions: 2-10 (1) The University of Texas at El Paso; 2-11 (2) Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at El 2-12 Paso; 2-13 (3) El Paso Community College District; 2-14 (4) R. E. Thomason General Hospital; 2-15 (5) El Paso City/County Health District; 2-16 (6) The University of Texas Health Science Center at 2-17 Houston, School of Public Health; 2-18 (7) El Paso County Medical Society; 2-19 (8) Paso del Norte Health Foundation; and, 2-20 (9) the Texas Department of Health. 2-21 (b) The governing board of the institute may adopt 2-22 procedures for changing, adding or deleting entities as members of 2-23 the institute, as well as forming developmental or advisory boards. 2-24 Sec. 151.004. ADMINISTRATION. (a) The governing body of 2-25 the institute is composed of the chief executive officer of each 2-26 entity that is a member of the institute or the officer's designee. 3-1 (b) The governing board of the institute is responsible for 3-2 the operation of the institute. The board shall adopt rules 3-3 relating to: 3-4 (1) the operation and deliberations of the governing board; 3-5 and 3-6 (2) the operation of the institute. 3-7 (c) The governing board may employ an executive director of 3-8 the institute and any other officer or employee necessary for the 3-9 operation of the institute. 3-10 (d) The governing board shall meet, at least once a year, to 3-11 review the progress of the institute and to determine the 3-12 institute's future actions and operational plans. 3-13 Sec. 151.005. FUNDING. (a) In addition to any amount 3-14 appropriated by the legislature, the institute may apply for and 3-15 accept funds from the federal government or any other public or 3-16 private entity. The institute or any member of the institute may 3-17 also solicit and accept pledges, gifts, and endowments from private 3-18 sources on the institute's behalf. 3-19 (b) The governing board of the institute shall manage and 3-20 approve disbursements of appropriations, funds, pledges, gifts, and 3-21 endowments that are the property of the institute. 3-22 (c) The governing board of the institute shall manage any 3-23 capital improvements constructed, owned, or leased, by the 3-24 institute and any real property acquired by the institute. 3-25 Sec. 151.006. FACILITIES. The physical facilities of the 3-26 institute used in its research undertakings, provision of health 4-1 care, education programs, including but not limited to libraries, 4-2 auditoriums, research facilities, education buildings, meeting 4-3 halls, classrooms, and administrative offices as may be provided by 4-4 a public or private entity, or a cooperative, consortium or joint 4-5 venture consisting of such entities. A physical facility may be 4-6 constructed, maintained, or operated with funds of the institute, 4-7 funds as defined in Sec. 151.005, and funds appropriated for that 4-8 purpose. Money may be appropriated for construction of a facility 4-9 in phases such that design, engineering and site work may be 4-10 appropriated separately from physical construction costs. 4-11 Sec. 151.007. RESOURCES. Institute resources, capital and 4-12 real estate are separate from members resources, capital and real 4-13 estate. Institute members shall retain any and all assets and 4-14 funds received from the federal government or any other public or 4-15 private entity and to solicit and accept pledges, gifts, and 4-16 endowments from private sources on their own behalf and for their 4-17 own purposes, but when associated with the institute such purposes 4-18 cannot be inconsistent with the purposes of the institute. 4-19 Sec. 151.008. ANNUAL REPORTING. The institute shall provide 4-20 to each member of the governing board of the institute an annual 4-21 audited financial statement and a status report of each project 4-22 undertaken by the institute. 4-23 SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2001, the Texas Higher 4-24 Education Coordinating Board shall prepare an impact statement 4-25 examining the initial implementation of this Act and shall deliver 4-26 a copy of the statement to the chair of each legislative committee 5-1 with primary jurisdiction over higher education or border health 5-2 issues. 5-3 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 5-4 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 5-5 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 5-6 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 5-7 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 5-8 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 5-9 passage, and it is so enacted.