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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the Muenster Hospital District. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 1067.051(a), Special District Local Laws |
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Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The district consists of seven [nine] elected |
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directors. |
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SECTION 2. Sections 1067.055(a), (b), (d), and (e), Special |
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District Local Laws Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The board shall elect one of the directors as [a] |
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president and one director as vice president-secretary [a vice
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president from among its members]. |
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(b) The vice president-secretary [board] shall act as |
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[appoint] a secretary of the board [, who need not be a director]. |
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(d) The president [is the chief executive officer of the
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district and] has the same right to vote as any other director. |
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(e) If the president is absent or fails and declines to act, |
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the vice president-secretary [vice president] shall perform the |
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president's duties and exercise the president's powers under this |
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chapter. |
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SECTION 3. The heading to Section 1067.057, Special |
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District Local Laws Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 1067.057. CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER [DISTRICT
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ADMINISTRATOR]; ASSISTANT TO CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER |
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[ADMINISTRATOR]. |
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SECTION 4. Sections 1067.057(a), (b), (c), and (d), Special |
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District Local Laws Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The board shall appoint a qualified person to be known |
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as the chief executive officer of the district [administrator]. |
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(b) The board may appoint an assistant to the chief |
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executive officer [administrator]. |
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(c) The chief executive officer [district administrator] |
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and any assistant to the chief executive officer [administrator] |
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serve at the will of the board and are entitled to the compensation |
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determined by the board. |
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(d) The board may require the chief executive officer |
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[district administrator], before assuming the chief executive |
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officer's [administrator's] duties, to execute a bond payable to |
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the district in an amount set by the board of not less than $5,000 |
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that: |
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(1) is conditioned on the faithful performance of the |
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chief executive officer's [administrator's] duties; and |
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(2) contains other conditions the board may require. |
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SECTION 5. Section 1067.058, Special District Local Laws |
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Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 1067.058. GENERAL DUTIES OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER |
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[DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR]. Subject to the limitations prescribed by |
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the board, the chief executive officer [district administrator] |
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shall: |
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(1) supervise the work and activities of the hospital; |
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and |
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(2) direct the affairs of the district. |
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SECTION 6. Sections 1067.059(a) and (b), Special District |
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Local Laws Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The board, with the chief executive officer [district
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administrator], may appoint to the staff any doctors the board |
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considers necessary for the efficient operation of the district. |
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(b) The board may employ technicians, nurses, and other |
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employees as considered necessary for the efficient operation of |
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the hospital or may provide that the chief executive officer |
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[district administrator] has the authority to admit or employ those |
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persons. |
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SECTION 7. Sections 1067.111(a), (b), (c), (d), and (e), |
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Special District Local Laws Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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(a) When an indigent patient who resides in the district is |
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admitted to a district facility or a person who does not reside in |
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the district is admitted as an emergency patient to a district |
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facility, the chief executive officer [district administrator] |
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shall have an inquiry made into the circumstances of: |
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(1) the patient; and |
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(2) the patient's relatives who are legally liable for |
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the patient's support. |
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(b) If the chief executive officer [district administrator] |
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determines that the patient or those relatives cannot pay all or |
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part of the costs of the care and treatment in the hospital, the |
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amount of the costs that cannot be paid becomes a charge against the |
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district as care for indigents. |
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(c) If the chief executive officer [district administrator] |
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determines that the patient or those relatives can pay for all or |
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part of the costs of the patient's care and treatment, the patient |
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or those relatives shall be ordered to pay the district a specified |
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amount each week for the patient's support. The amount ordered must |
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be proportionate to the person's financial ability and may not |
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exceed the actual per capita cost of maintenance. |
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(d) The chief executive officer [district administrator] |
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may collect the amount from the patient's estate, or from any |
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relative who is legally liable for the patient's support, in the |
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manner provided by law for the collection of expenses of the last |
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illness of a deceased person. |
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(e) If there is a dispute as to the ability to pay, or doubt |
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in the mind of the chief executive officer [district
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administrator], the board shall hold a hearing and, after calling |
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witnesses, shall: |
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(1) resolve the dispute or doubt; and |
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(2) issue any appropriate orders. |
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SECTION 8. Section 1067.152(b), Special District Local Laws |
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Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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(b) The board shall adopt a budget by acting on the budget |
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proposed by the chief executive officer [district administrator]. |
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SECTION 9. Section 1067.205(b), Special District Local Laws |
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Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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(b) The vice president-secretary [board secretary] shall |
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attest the bonds as provided by Chapter 618, Government Code. |
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SECTION 10. Sections 1067.307(b) and (c), Special District |
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Local Laws Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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(b) On the payment of all outstanding debts and obligations |
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of the district, the board shall order the vice president-secretary |
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[secretary] to return to each district taxpayer the taxpayer's pro |
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rata share of all unused tax money. |
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(c) A taxpayer may request that the taxpayer's share of |
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surplus tax money be credited to the taxpayer's county taxes. If a |
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taxpayer requests the credit, the board shall direct the vice |
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president-secretary [secretary] to transmit the money to the county |
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tax assessor-collector. |
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SECTION 11. (a) The election of the board of directors of |
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the Muenster Hospital District scheduled to be held in May 2020 must |
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be held. One director shall be elected at that election and shall |
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serve a three-year term. |
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(b) The election of the board of directors of the Muenster |
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Hospital District scheduled to be held in May 2021 must be held, and |
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three directors shall be elected at that election. The directors |
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elected at that election shall draw lots to determine which two |
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directors serve three-year terms and which director serves a |
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two-year term. |
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(c) The election of the board of directors of the Muenster |
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Hospital District scheduled to be held in May 2022 must be held, and |
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the three directors elected at that election shall serve three-year |
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terms. |
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(d) The directors of the Muenster Hospital District elected |
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at the elections scheduled to be held in May 2023, May 2024, and May |
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2025 shall serve three-year terms. |
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SECTION 12. This Act takes effect immediately if it |
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receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each |
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house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. |
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If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate |
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effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |