1-1     By:  Chisum (Senate Sponsor - Haywood)                H.B. No. 2488
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House April 23, 2001;
 1-3     April 24, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on
 1-4     Intergovernmental Relations; May 11, 2001, reported favorably by
 1-5     the following vote:  Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 11, 2001, sent to
 1-6     printer.)
 1-7                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-8                                   AN ACT
 1-9     relating to the powers and duties of the Donley County Hospital
1-10     District.
1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-12           SECTION 1. Chapter 699, Acts of the 61st Legislature, Regular
1-13     Session, 1969, is amended by amending Sections 7 and 8 and adding
1-14     Section 24 to read as follows:
1-15           Sec. 7.  In addition to the power to issue bonds payable from
1-16     taxes levied by the district, as contemplated by the preceding
1-17     section, the board of directors is further authorized to issue
1-18     revenue bonds for the purpose of refunding [and to refund] any
1-19     previously issued revenue bonds and to issue revenue bonds for the
1-20     purpose of purchasing, constructing, acquiring, repairing,
1-21     equipping, or renovating buildings and improvements for the
1-22     district's facilities for the district's hospital system [hospital
1-23     purposes], and for acquiring sites therefor, such bonds to be
1-24     payable from and secured by a pledge of all or any part of the
1-25     revenues of the district to be derived from the operation of its
1-26     hospital or hospitals, and such bonds may be additionally secured
1-27     by a mortgage or deed of trust lien on any part or all of its
1-28     properties.  Such bonds shall be issued in the manner and in
1-29     accordance with the procedures and requirements specified for the
1-30     issuance of revenue bonds by county hospital authorities in
1-31     Sections 264.042, 264.043, 264.046, 264.047, 264.048, and 264.049,
1-32     Health and Safety Code [8, 10, 11, 12, and 13 of Chapter 122, Acts
1-33     of the 58th Legislature, 1963 (Article 4494r, Vernon's Texas Civil
1-34     Statutes)].
1-35           Sec. 8.  The board of directors is hereby given complete
1-36     discretion as to the type of buildings, both as to number and
1-37     location, required to establish and maintain an adequate hospital
1-38     system.  The hospital system, as determined by the board of
1-39     directors, may include facilities for domiciliary care of the sick,
1-40     wounded, and injured, facilities for outpatient clinic or clinics,
1-41     dispensaries, facilities for geriatric domiciliary care,
1-42     convalescent home facilities, necessary nurses centers,
1-43     [domiciliaries and training centers, blood banks, community mental
1-44     health centers, and] research centers or laboratories, nursing
1-45     homes or similar facilities for the care of the elderly, and any
1-46     other facilities deemed necessary for hospital care by the
1-47     directors.  The district, through its board of directors, is
1-48     further authorized to enter into an operating or management
1-49     contract with regard to its facilities or a part thereof, or may
1-50     lease or contract with the Texas Department of Human Services to
1-51     lease all or part of its buildings and facilities upon terms and
1-52     conditions considered to be the best interest of its inhabitants,
1-53     provided that in no event shall any lease be for a period in excess
1-54     of 25 years from the date entered.  The district shall be empowered
1-55     to sell or otherwise dispose of any property, real or personal, or
1-56     equipment of any nature upon terms and conditions found by the
1-57     board to be in the best interest of its inhabitants.
1-58           Sec. 24.  All proceedings, resolutions, orders, and other
1-59     acts or attempted acts of the district in the issuance of notes,
1-60     and all proceedings of the district authorizing the issuance,
1-61     execution, and delivery of notes and other obligations of the
1-62     district are validated in all respects and are valid as though the
1-63     notes had been originally and duly authorized, accomplished,
1-64     validated, ratified, approved, and confirmed.
 2-1           SECTION 2.  This Act does not apply to any matter involved in
 2-2     litigation on the effective date of this Act if the litigation
 2-3     ultimately results in the matter being held invalid in a final
 2-4     judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction.
 2-5           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
 2-6     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
 2-7     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
 2-8     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
 2-9     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
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