BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.J.R. 35

By: Vaught

County Affairs

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Current law does not allow counties that are contiguous to Dallas County to be included in the Dallas County hospital district. 

Dallas County hospital district provides millions of dollars of unreimbursed health care annually to residents outside of the county. Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas County provides more than $20 million in unreimbursed health care to residents outside of Dallas County. The discrepancy in poverty guidelines between Dallas County and the surrounding counties results in disproportionate use of hospital resources by the indigent population in those counties.  

C.S.H.J.R. 35 proposes an amendment to the Texas Constitution to authorize the expansion of Dallas County hospital district boundaries to include territory outside Dallas County.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

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

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.J.R. 35 proposes an amendment to the Texas Constitution to authorize the expansion of the boundaries of the Dallas County Hospital District to include territory outside Dallas County if a majority of the qualified voters of the district and a majority of the qualified voters of the territory to be included in the district approve the expansion at separate elections called and held for that purpose.

C.S.H.J.R. 35 authorizes such an expansion and an election approving the expansion notwithstanding the constitutional provision that authorizes only the qualified voters in the county in which a countywide hospital district is located to vote in an election relating to the district. The resolution sets forth the required language for the ballot.

ELECTION DATE

The constitutional amendment proposed by this joint resolution will be submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 3, 2009.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.J.R. 35 removes a provision in the original making its provisions applicable to the Tarrant County Hospital District as well as the Dallas County Hospital District.