By:  Kolkhorst                                                    H.B. No. 2453


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the definition and liability of a hospital district management contractor. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Sections 285.071 and 285.072, Health and Safety Code, are amended to read as follows: Sec. 285.071. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "hospital district management contractor" means: (1) a nonprofit corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship that manages a hospital or provides services as a part of a rural health network as defined under 42 U.S.C. Section 1395i-4(d), as amended, [1395i-4(g)] under contract with a hospital district that was created by general or special law and that has a population under 50,000; or (2) a nonprofit corporation that: (A) operates an acute care hospital in a hospital facility it leases from a hospital district that was created by general or special law; and (B) provides indigent health care services under contract with the hospital district. Sec. 285.072. LIABILITY OF A HOSPITAL DISTRICT MANAGEMENT CONTRACTOR. A hospital district management contractor and any employee of the contractor are, while performing services under the contract or lease for the benefit of the hospital, employees of the hospital district for the purposes of Chapters 101 and 102, Civil Practice and Remedies Code. SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to a cause of action that accrues on or after the effective date of this Act. An action that accrued before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect at the time the action accrued, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose. SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.