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.