Senate hears local bill to modernize Kimbell County hospital district statute

Senator Flores presented Senate Bill 1042 as a local bill to update the enabling statute for the Kimbell County Hospital District. Flores told the committee that many enabling acts for hospital districts were drafted decades ago (he cited the district’s original statute as 1971 and partial amendments in 2009) and that the district’s board requested statutory updates to correct outstanding issues involving board membership, budget drafting, depository selection and hospital services.

Flores said the intent is to bring the district’s administrative processes into alignment with current state law, enabling more efficient operation of one of the region’s rural hospitals. The senator offered that a resource witness from the hospital district was available; committee members did not press for additional testimony and the public record was closed with the bill left pending subject to call of the chair.

No resource witness delivered substantive changes to the bill at the hearing; committee members asked if a resource witness would be heard but allowed him to return to his county rather than give in‑person testimony. The committee left SB 1042 pending subject to call of the chair.