By:  Van de Putte                                                 S.B. No. 594


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the definition of an ambulatory surgical center.                  
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Subdivision (1), Section 243.002, Health and 
Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:
		(1)  "Ambulatory surgical center" means a facility that 
operates primarily to provide surgical services to patients who [do 
not] require a recovery period of 24 hours or less after the 
completion of the patient's procedure [overnight hospital care].
	SECTION 2.  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.


COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1
	Amend S.B. 594 (Engrossed version) by amending SECTION 1 to 
read as follows: 
	SECTION 1.  Subdivision (1), Section 243.002, Health and 
Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:
		(1)  "Ambulatory surgical center" means a facility that 
operates primarily to provide surgical services to patients who do 
not require overnight hospital care.  The following are not 
considered to be "overnight hospital care" for purposes of this 
definition:
			(a)  post-surgical recovery that results in 
discharge no later than 1:00 a.m. local time; and
			(b)  post-surgical recovery that extends beyond 
1:00 a.m. local time in those cases in which additional time for 
post-surgical recovery could not have been anticipated prior to 
surgery.

                                                                        Capelo