76(R) SB 995 House committee report

HBA-DMD C.S.S.B. 995 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.S.B. 995
By: Lindsay
County Affairs
5/19/1999
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the Harris County Hospital District (district) is in a
transitional phase. In addition, the district's chief executive officer has
resigned her position, effective later this year. The changes in health
care require the district to be reviewed in order to determine its future
direction. C.S.S.B. 995 creates a review commission (commission) for the
district in order to assist the state in reviewing the district. This bill
requires the commission, no later than November 1, 2000, to file a report
containing the results of the review, including any recommendations for
necessary changes to the district's enabling legislation, with the
governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives.
This bill also requires each appointment to the commission to be made by
July 1, 1999 and abolishes the commission on January 1, 2001. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  COMMISSION TO REVIEW AND REPORT ON HARRIS COUNTY HOSPITAL
DISTRICT. (a) Defines "commission" and "district" in this section. 

(b) Creates a review commission (commission) for the Harris County Hospital
District (district) to assist this state in reviewing that district. 

(c) Sets forth the composition of the commission.

(d) Provides that a member of the commission serves at the will of the
appointing person. 

(e) Requires the commission to elect a presiding officer and any other
necessary officers from among its members. 

(f) Requires the commission to meet at the call of the presiding officer.

(g) Provides that a member of the commission receives no compensation for
serving on the commission. 

(h) Requires the commission to review the enabling legislation for the
district, Chapter 281 (Health Districts in Counties of at Least 190,000),
Health and Safety Code. 

(i) Requires the commission, no later than November 1, 2000, to file a
report containing the results of the review under Subsection (h) of this
section, including any recommendations for necessary changes to the
district's enabling legislation, with the governor, lieutenant governor,
and speaker of the house of representatives. 

SECTION 2.  APPOINTMENTS. Requires each appointment to the commission
established by SECTION 1 of this Act to be made by July 1, 1999. 

 SECTION 3.  ABOLISHMENT; EXPIRATION. Provides that on January 1, 2001, the
commission established by SECTION 1 of this Act is abolished and this Act
expires. 

SECTION 4.  EMERGENCY.  Emergency clause.
                                         Effective date: upon passage.      

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.S.B. 995 changes the title of SECTION 1 from "Commission to Study and
Report on Harris County Hospital District" to "Commission to Review and
Report on Harris County Hospital District," and makes a conforming change
in the caption.  

This substitute modifies proposed Subsection (a) to define "commission" as
the review commission, rather than the study commission. 

This substitute modifies proposed Subsection (b) to create a review
commission (commission) for the Harris County Hospital District (district)
to assist this state in reviewing, rather than studying, that district. 

This substitute modifies proposed Subsection (c), by modifying the
composition of the commission as follows: 

(1) specifies two, rather than four, members of the house of
representatives, and adds one public member, all of whom are appointed by
the speaker of the house of representatives; 
(2) specifies two, rather than four, members of the senate, and adds one
public member, all of whom are appointed by the lieutenant governor; and 
(3) the chairman of the board of hospital managers of the district, rather
than three members of the general public who reside in Harris County,
appointed by the governor. 

This substitute modifies proposed Subsection (e), to require the commission
to elect a presiding officer and any other necessary officers from among
its members, rather than requiring the governor to appoint a public member
of the commission to serve as presiding officer and requiring members of
the commission to elect any other necessary officers. 

This substitute modifies proposed Subsection (h), to require the commission
to review the enabling legislation for the district, Chapter 281 (Health
Districts in Counties of at Least 190,000), Health and Safety Code. The
original bill required the commission to study the manner in which the
district is governed, methods for funding a district, and any other issues
identified by the commission regarding a district's function to provide
care to the indigent and trauma care to the general population. 

This substitute modifies proposed Subsection (i), to include any
recommendations for necessary changes to the district's enabling
legislation, in the report containing the results of the review that the
commission is required to file with the governor, lieutenant governor, and
the speaker of the house of representatives. Makes  a conforming change. 

This substitute makes conforming changes in SECTIONS 2 and 3.