H.B. 3371 78(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


H.B. 3371
By: Garza
County Affairs
Committee Report (Unamended)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 
In 1965, the 59th Legislature established the Hospital District of
Maverick County (district) to deliver health care services to the people
of Maverick County. In the enabling act, the legislature set forth all of
the guidelines and regulations by which the district was to operate.
Health care and its delivery system exist in an environment that changes
rapidly. Because of this changing environment, the district is faced with
an obligation to deliver services under authority that is no longer
adequate to meet the needs of Maverick County. To remedy this situation
the board of directors of the district has asked that its enabling statute
be modified to improve the district's ability to fulfill its obligation to
deliver health care services.  HB 3371 updates the responsibilities and
duties of the Hospital District of Maverick County in an effort to protect
the District from financial hardship and gives it appropriate authority to
efficiently deliver health care services.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or
institution. 

ANALYSIS
Section 1: Amends Section 3, Chapter 172, Acts of the 59th Legislature,
Regular Session, 1965, to include the word "needy" in line 12 of page one,
and authorizes that the Board of Directors determines is necessary to
provide hospital and medical care for the needy inhabitants of the
District, rather than provide "all necessary" hospital and medical care. 

Section 2: Amends Section 11(n), Chapter 172, Acts of the 59th
Legislature, Regular Session, 1965, is amended to read as follows: 

(n) The Board, based on financial feasibility and the financial resources
available to the District, may: 

and adds Subsection (n) (1), (n) (2), (n) (2) (A), and (n) (2) (B) to read
as follows: 

(1) annually determine the type and extent of hospital and medical care
services offered by the District; and 
 (2) set annual limit on:
(A) the aggregate amount of hospital and medical care services required to
be provided by the District to each eligible resident; and 
(B) the aggregate amount of all hospital and medical care services offered
by the District.  

EFFECTIVE DATE
This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of
all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article
III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary
for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2003.