Relating to the operations and administration of the Concho County Hospital District.

BILL ANALYSIS

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

S.B. 1214 modernizes the governance and operational procedures of the Concho County Hospital District by updating election requirements, administrative roles, contracting procedures, and financial regulations. These changes aim to improve efficiency, remove outdated restrictions, and align the district's operations with standard practiced used by other hospital districts in Texas.

As proposed, S.B. 1214 amends current law relating to the operations and administration of the Concho County Hospital District.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 1016.053, Special District Local Laws Code, as follows:

Sec. 1016.053. New heading: BALLOT APPLICATION. Requires a person who wants to have the person's name printed on the ballot for the board of directors (board) of the Concho County Hospital District (district) as a candidate for a member of the board (director) to file an application with the board secretary in accordance with Chapter 144 (Candidate For Office of Political Subdivision Other Than County or City), Election Code, rather than file a petition with the board secretary requesting that action. Deletes existing text requiring that the petition be signed by at least 10 registered taxpaying voters and filed by the deadline imposed by Section 144.005 (Filing Deadline), Election Code.

SECTION 2. Amends Section 1016.054, Special District Local Laws Code, as follows:

Sec. 1016.054. QUALIFICATIONS FOR OFFICE. (a) Creates this subsection from existing text. Deletes existing text prohibiting a person from being elected or appointed as a director unless the person is a freeholder and at least 18 years of age when elected or appointed.

(b) Prohibits a person from being elected or appointed as a director if the person is a district employee.

SECTION 3. Amends Section 1016.057, Special District Local Laws Code, as follows:

Sec. 1016.057. OFFICERS. Requires the board to elect certain officers, including a vice president, from among its members.

SECTION 4. Amends the heading to Section 1016.060, Special District Local Laws Code, to read as follows:

Sec. 1016.060. DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR.

SECTION 5. Section 1016.060(c), Special District Local Laws Code, is amended to read as follows:

(c) Provides that the district administrator, rather than the district administrator and any assistant administrator, serves at the will of the board and is entitled to the compensation determined by the board. Makes nonsubstantive changes.

SECTION 6. Amends Section 1016.110, Special District Local Laws Code, as follows:

Sec. 1016.110. New heading: CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS. (a) Authorizes the board to enter into construction contracts for the district.

(b) Authorizes the board to enter into a public work contract as authorized under Chapter 2269 (Contracting and Delivery Procedures for Construction Projects), Government Code.

(c) Provides that Chapter 2253 (Public Work Performance and Payment Bonds), Government Code, as it relates to performance and payment bonds, applies to the district's construction contracts. Deletes existing text providing that a construction or purchase contract that involves the expenditure of more than $2,000 is authorized to be made only after advertising in the manner provided by certain chapters of the Local Government Code.

SECTION 7. Amends Section 1016.160(a), Special District Local Laws Code, to prohibit the district, except as otherwise provided by Section 1016.107(c) (relating to authorizing the district to acquire equipment for certain purposes) of this code, Section 315.002 (Authority to Borrow Money for Public Hospital; Security), Health and Safety Code, and Subchapter D (General Financial Provisions) and E (Bonds), Chapter 1016 (Concho County Hospital District), from incurring a debt, rather than an obligation, payable from district revenue other than the revenue on hand or to be on hand in the current and following district fiscal years.

SECTION 8. Repealer: Section 1016.055 (Bond; Record of Bond and Oath or Affirmation of Office), Special District Local Laws Code.

Repealers: Sections 1016.060(b) (relating to authorizing the board to appoint an assistant administrator) and (d) (relating to requiring the administrator to execute a bond payable to the district in a certain amount that meets certain requirements), Special District Local Laws Code.

SECTION 9. (a) Makes application of the changes in law made by this Act to Section 1016.053, Special District Local Laws Code, prospective.

(b) Provides that the changes in law made by this Act to Section 1016.054, Special District Local Laws Code:

(1) do not affect the entitlement of a director serving on the board of directors immediately before the effective date of this Act to continue to serve on the board for the remainder of the director's term;

(2) apply only to a member of the board of directors elected or appointed to the board on or after the effective date of this Act; and

(3) do not prohibit a director serving on the board of directors on the effective date of this Act from being reelected or reappointed to the board if the director has the qualifications required for membership on the board under Section 1016.054, Special District Local Laws Code, as amended by this Act.

SECTION 10. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2025.