79R5295 HLT-F
By: Barrientos S.B. No. 1677
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the powers and duties of the board of hospital managers
of the Travis County Hospital District and to employee benefits for
certain employees of that district.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 157.002(a), Local Government Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(a) The commissioners court by rule may provide for medical
care and hospitalization and may provide for compensation,
accident, hospital, and disability insurance for the following
persons if their salaries are paid from the funds of the county or
funds of a flood control district located entirely in the county, or
funds of a hospital district described by Section 281.0475, Health
and Safety Code, located entirely in the county, or if they are
employees of another governmental entity for which the county is
obligated to provide benefits:
(1) deputies, assistants, and other employees of the
county, or of the flood control district, or of the hospital
district, who work under the commissioners court or its appointees;
(2) county and district officers and their deputies
and assistants appointed under Subchapter A, Chapter 151;
(3) employees appointed under Section 10(a), Article
42.12, Code of Criminal Procedure;
(4) any retired person formerly holding any status
listed above; and
(5) the dependents of any person listed above.
SECTION 2. Section 157.003(b), Local Government Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(b) A person who elects to participate in the health plan
must authorize contributions to the fund by salary deduction. The
authorization must be in writing and must be given at the time of
the person's employment or on the effective date of the rules. The
county and any participating flood control district or hospital
district shall also contribute to the fund. A person who does not
contribute to the plan may not receive hospitalization or insurance
benefits.
SECTION 3. Section 157.101(a), Local Government Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(a) A commissioners court by rule, including through an
intergovernmental risk pool organized under Chapter 172, may
provide for group health and related benefits, including medical
care, surgical care, hospitalization, and pharmaceutical, life,
accident, disability, long-term care, vision, dental, mental
health, and substance abuse benefits, for the following persons if
their salaries are paid from the funds of the county or funds of a
flood control district located entirely in the county, or funds of a
hospital district described by Section 281.0475, Health and Safety
Code, located entirely in the county, or if they are employees of
another governmental entity for which the county is obligated to
provide benefits:
(1) deputies, assistants, and other employees of the
county, or of the flood control district, or of the hospital
district, who work under the commissioners court or its appointees;
(2) county and district officers and their deputies
and assistants appointed under Subchapter A, Chapter 151;
(3) employees of a community supervision and
corrections department established under Chapter 76, Government
Code;
(4) a retired person formerly holding a status listed
in Subdivisions (1)-(3); and
(5) the dependents of a person listed in Subdivisions
(1)-(4).
SECTION 4. Section 157.102(b), Local Government Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(b) A person who elects to participate in any aspect of the
group health and related benefits plan and is required to make
contributions toward the payment of the plan must authorize
contributions to the fund by salary deduction. The authorization
must be submitted in writing to the county officer authorized by the
commissioners court to administer payroll deductions. The
authorization remains in effect as long as the person is required to
make contributions toward the payment of the plan. If the amount of
the person's required contributions changes after the date the
request for deduction is submitted, the county shall notify the
person of the change before the change takes effect. The county and
any participating flood control district or hospital district may
also contribute to the fund.
SECTION 5. Section 1431.001(2), Government Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(2) "Eligible countywide district" means a flood
control district or a hospital district the boundaries of which are
substantially coterminous with the boundaries of a county with a
population of three million or more or a hospital district created
in a county with a population of more than 800,000 that was not
included in the boundaries of a hospital district before September
1, 2003.
SECTION 6. Subchapter C, Chapter 281, Health and Safety
Code, is amended by adding Section 281.0475 to read as follows:
Sec. 281.0475. RENAMING DISTRICT. (a) This section
applies only to a district created in a county with a population of
more than 800,000 that was not included in the boundaries of a
hospital district before September 1, 2003.
(b) With the approval of the commissioners court, the board
may rename the district.
SECTION 7. Subchapter C, Chapter 281, Health and Safety
Code, is amended by adding Section 281.0513 to read as follows:
Sec. 281.0513. CONTRACTING AUTHORITY OF CERTAIN DISTRICTS.
(a) This section applies only to a district created in a county
with a population of more than 800,000 that was not included in the
boundaries of a hospital district before September 1, 2003.
(b) With the approval of the commissioners court, the board
may contract with a person, private entity, or public entity,
including a municipality, county, special district, or other
political subdivision of this state, to provide or assist in the
provision of services.
SECTION 8. Section 281.0461, Health and Safety Code, is
repealed.
SECTION 9. 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, 2005.