Senate Bill 2656

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 41-13-10, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CLARIFY THE APPOINTING AUTHORITY FOR BOARDS OF TRUSTEES OF COMMUNITY HOSPITALS WHERE THE LESSEE IS ANOTHER COMMUNITY HOSPITAL; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 41-13-10, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

41-13-10. For purposes of Sections 41-13-10 through 41-13-47, Mississippi Code of 1972, the following words shall have the meanings ascribed herein, unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) "Administrator" shall mean the chief administrative official and executive officer of a community hospital selected by the board of trustees of such community hospital.

(b) "Board of trustees" shall mean the board appointed pursuant to Section 41-13-29, Mississippi Code of 1972, to operate a community hospital.

(c) "Community hospital" shall mean any hospital, nursing home and/or related health facilities or programs, including without limitation, ambulatory surgical facilities, intermediate care facilities, after-hours clinics, home health agencies and rehabilitation facilities, established and acquired by boards of trustees or by one or more owners which is governed, operated and maintained by a board of trustees.

(d) "Owner" shall mean any board of supervisors of any county having an ownership interest in any community hospital or leased facility on behalf of the county or on behalf of any supervisors district, judicial district or election district of the county and shall also mean any governing council or board of any municipality having an ownership interest in any community hospital or leased facility.

(e) "Leased facility" shall mean a hospital, nursing home or related health facilities which an owner has leased to an individual, partnership, corporation, other owner or board of trustees for a term not in excess of fifty (50) years, conditioned upon the facility continuing to operate on a nonprofit basis. A leased facility shall not be deemed or considered to be a community hospital except for purposes of Sections 41-13-19 through 41-13-25, Mississippi Code of 1972, and shall not be subject to the statutory requirements placed on community hospitals except to the extent as may be specifically required by the terms of the applicable lease agreement. However, in situations where another community hospital, acting through its board of trustees, is the lessee of a leased facility, the leased facility shall remain subject to this chapter and other laws applicable to community hospitals, except that the owners of the lessee shall have sole authority to appoint the board of trustees for the leased facility, which shall be the same board of trustees as appointed pursuant to Section 41-13-29, Mississippi Code of 1972, for the lessee community hospital.

(f) "Service area" means that area as determined by a board of trustees by its patient origin studies.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2002.