HBA-NLM H.B. 3772 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3772 By: Gallego County Affairs 3/27/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Presidio County Hospital District was created in 1965, by the 59th Legislature, to deliver health care services to the people of Presidio County. In the enabling act, the legislature set forth all of the guidelines and regulations by which the district was to operate and also established the criteria and procedure for election of its governing body. In 1991, the 72nd Legislature authorized the joining of the Presidio County Hospital District with the Brewster County Hospital District into the Big Bend Regional Hospital District (district). The enabling act for the district provides for a two- year term for the office of director. However, the hospital board has experienced difficulty in filling the office of director on the hospital board, since the term of office is relatively short. There is concern that potential candidates for office may not want to commit resources for such a short duration. Additionally the board is concerned that some persons seeking office may have personal interests in district matters. H.B. 3772 requires an election to be held on the first Saturday in May each year and the appropriate number of directors are required to be elected for four-year terms, rather than two-year terms. In addition, this bill prohibits a person from serving on the board of directors if the person is an employee of the district, is a party to a contract with the district to perform services for compensation, or is a physician who retains staff privileges at the district facility. 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. Amends Section 7(b), Chapter 643, Acts of the 59th Legislature, Regular Session, 1965, to require an election to be held on the first Saturday in May each year and the appropriate number of directors are required to be elected for four-year, rather than two-year, terms in the following manner: (1) Requires the term to be a two-year term, in an election held in the year 2000 for the election of directors serving a term that expires that year; (2) Requires the term to be a three-year term, in an election held in the year 2001 for the election of directors serving a term that expires that year; and (3) Requires every election for a member of the board of directors held after 2001 to be for a term of four-years. SECTION 2. Amends Section 7B, Chapter 643, Acts of the 59th Legislature, Regular Session, 1965, by adding Subsection (c), as follows: (c) Prohibits a person from serving on the board of directors if the person is an employee of the district, is a party to a contract with the district to perform services for compensation, or is a physician who retains staff privileges at the district facility. SECTION 3. Makes application of this Act prospective. SECTION 4. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 5. Emergency clause.