By Delisi                                             H.B. No. 3612
         Line and page numbers may not match official copy.
         Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to hospitals.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1. Section 241.1015(g), Health and Safety Code, is
 1-5     amended to read as follows:
 1-6           (g)  In this section, "health care plan" has the meaning
 1-7     assigned by Section 2, Texas Health Maintenance Organization Act
 1-8     (Article 20A.02, Vernon's Texas Insurance Code) and includes a
 1-9     preferred provider benefit plan under Art. 3.70-3C, Vernon's Texas
1-10     Insurance Code, and "hospital medical directors" means physicians
1-11     who have been employed by or are under contract with a hospital to
1-12     manage a clinical department or departments of the hospital.
1-13           SECTION 2.  Section 241.151(1), Health and Safety Code, is
1-14     amended to read as follows:
1-15                 (1)  "Directory information" means information
1-16     disclosing the presence of a person who is receiving inpatient,
1-17     outpatient, or emergency services from a licensed hospital, the
1-18     nature of the person's injury, the person's municipality of
1-19     residence, sex, and age, and the general health status of the
1-20     person as described in terms of "critical," "poor," "fair," "good,"
1-21     "excellent," or similar terms or information relating to the
1-22     discharge or transfer of a person from that licensed hospital.
1-23           SECTION 3.  Section 311.044(d), Health and Safety Code, is
 2-1     amended to read as follows:
 2-2           (d)  In determining the community-wide needs assessment
 2-3     required by Subsection (b), a nonprofit hospital shall consider
 2-4     consulting with and seeking input from representatives of the
 2-5     following entities or organizations located in the community as
 2-6     defined by Subsection (b):
 2-7                 (1)  the local health department;
 2-8                 (2)  the public health region under Chapter 121;
 2-9                 (3)  the public health district;
2-10                 (4)  health-related organizations, including a health
2-11     professional association, physician professional association or
2-12     hospital association;
2-13                 (5)  health science centers;
2-14                 (6)  private business;
2-15                 (7)  consumers;
2-16                 (8)  local governments; and
2-17                 (9)  insurance companies and managed care organizations
2-18     with an active market presence in the community.
2-19           SECTION 4.  Section 311.045, Health and Safety Code, is
2-20     amended by adding subsection (f) to read as follows:
2-21           (f)  A nonprofit hospital or hospital system under contract
2-22     with a local county to provide indigent health care services under
2-23     Chapter 61 may credit direct care provided to an eligible county
2-24     resident toward meeting the nonprofit hospital's or system's
2-25     charity care and government-sponsored indigent health care
2-26     requirement.
 3-1           SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
 3-2     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
 3-3     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
 3-4     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
 3-5     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.