HBA-MPA H.B. 962 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 962
By: Jones, Delwin
County Affairs
2/24/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the Lubbock County Hospital District owns and operates a
hospital that is a teaching facility for Texas Tech Medical School, and
which also operates as a charity hospital offering indigent care.  H.B. 962
provides that before this facility can be sold or leased to another party a
vote of the people in the district will be required. 

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 10, Chapter 484, Acts of the 60th Legislature,
Regular Session, 1967,  
to make a conforming change, relative to SECTION 2 of this bill.

SECTION 2. Amends Chapter 484, Acts of the 60th Legislature, Regular
Session, 1967, by adding Section 10A, as follows: 

Sec. 10A.  SALE OR LEASE OF CERTAIN FACILITY; ELECTION.  (a) Authorizes the
board of managers of the Lubbock County Hospital District  (board), by
resolution and with the approval of the commissioners court, to order the
lease or sale of a facility owned and operated by the hospital district as
a teaching hospital located on the campus of Texas Tech University,
contingent on voter approval in an election called and held for that
purpose. Provides that the resolution must include a finding by the board
that the lease or sale is in the best interests of the residents of the
hospital district.  Requires the Commissioners Court of Lubbock County to
order the election as soon as possible after adoption of  the board's
resolution. 

(b) Requires that the election be held on the first authorized uniform
election date that occurs after the 45th day after the date the election is
ordered. 

(c) Requires the ballot to be printed to permit voting for or against the
proposition and provides model language. 

(d) Authorizes the board to sell or lease the facility only if the majority
of votes cast in the election approve that action. 

(e) Prohibits another election on the lease or sale of the facility from
being held within one year of the election, if the majority of votes cast
at the previous election did not support that action. 

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.
            Effective date: upon passage.