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.