| 1 | 1 | | H.B. No. 2963 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | AN ACT |
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| 5 | 5 | | relating to the authority of a county, hospital district, or public |
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| 6 | 6 | | hospital to provide health care services to an indigent patient. |
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| 7 | 7 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 8 | 8 | | SECTION 1. Section 61.0045(b), Health and Safety Code, is |
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| 9 | 9 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 10 | 10 | | (b) A county, hospital district, or public hospital that |
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| 11 | 11 | | receives information obtained under Subsection (a) shall use the |
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| 12 | 12 | | information to determine whether the patient to whom services were |
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| 13 | 13 | | provided is an eligible resident of the service area of the county, |
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| 14 | 14 | | hospital district, or public hospital and, if so, shall pay the |
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| 15 | 15 | | claim made by the provider to the extent that the county, hospital |
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| 16 | 16 | | district, or public hospital is liable under Section 61.033 or |
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| 17 | 17 | | 61.060 [in accordance with this chapter]. |
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| 18 | 18 | | SECTION 2. Section 61.029, Health and Safety Code, is |
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| 19 | 19 | | amended by adding Subsection (c) to read as follows: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (c) A county may provide or arrange to provide health care |
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| 21 | 21 | | services for eligible county residents through the purchase of |
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| 22 | 22 | | health coverage or other health benefits, including benefits |
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| 23 | 23 | | described by Chapter 75. |
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| 24 | 24 | | SECTION 3. Section 61.056, Health and Safety Code, is |
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| 25 | 25 | | amended by adding Subsection (d) to read as follows: |
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| 26 | 26 | | (d) A public hospital or hospital district may provide or |
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| 27 | 27 | | arrange to provide health care services for eligible residents |
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| 28 | 28 | | through the purchase of health coverage or other health benefits, |
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| 29 | 29 | | including benefits described by Chapter 75. For purposes of this |
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| 30 | 30 | | subsection, the board of directors or managers of the hospital or |
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| 31 | 31 | | district have the powers and duties provided to the commissioners |
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| 32 | 32 | | court of a county under Chapter 75. |
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| 33 | 33 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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| 34 | 34 | | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 35 | 35 | | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 36 | 36 | | I certify that H.B. No. 2963 was passed by the House on April |
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| 37 | 37 | | 22, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 149, Nays 0, 1 present, not |
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| 38 | 38 | | voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. |
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| 39 | 39 | | No. 2963 on May 23, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 143, Nays 0, |
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| 40 | 40 | | 1 present, not voting. |
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| 41 | 41 | | ______________________________ |
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| 42 | 42 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 43 | 43 | | I certify that H.B. No. 2963 was passed by the Senate, with |
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| 44 | 44 | | amendments, on May 20, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays |
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| 45 | 45 | | 0. |
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| 46 | 46 | | ______________________________ |
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| 47 | 47 | | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 48 | 48 | | APPROVED: __________________ |
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| 49 | 49 | | Date |
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| 50 | 50 | | __________________ |
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| 51 | 51 | | Governor |
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