BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1144

By: Cain

County Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Repeated absence from regularly scheduled meetings of the board of directors of the Hopkins County Hospital District is not currently a ground for removing a director from the board. H.B. 1144 seeks to establish a process for the removal of a director from the board on such a ground using certain statutory procedures for removing a county official.  The bill also changes the length of time a bank serves as the designated depository or treasurer for the district.

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

H.B. 1144 amends the Special District Local Laws Code to establish that it is a ground for removal from the board of directors of the Hopkins County Hospital District that a director is absent from at least four regularly scheduled board meetings that the director is eligible to attend in any 12-month period without an excuse approved by a majority vote of the board. The bill provides that the validity of an action of the board is not affected by the fact that the action is taken when a ground for removal of a director exists. The bill authorizes a director to be removed for such a ground using certain statutory procedures for removing a county official by petition and trial. The bill increases from two to three years the length of time a bank designated by the board as the district's depository or treasurer serves.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2011.