Sec. 283.071. ADMISSION CRITERIA AND PAYMENT; CRIMINAL PENALTY. (a) The board shall enter an order in district records defining "indigent or needy person" for the purpose of determining qualifications for admission to district hospital facilities.

(b) An order under Subsection (a) must detail the criteria for an emergency admission to district facilities without regard to indigency and for the length and basis of the stay at the facility.

(c) The board may require evidence of indigency that it considers appropriate, including an affidavit of inability to pay.

(d) The board may hire personnel necessary to determine the eligibility of an applicant for admission to district facilities and to process admissions.

(e) A person commits an offense if the person is able to pay for the person's hospital care at a district facility and makes a false statement for the purpose of obtaining admission to a district hospital facility. An offense under this subsection is a misdemeanor and punishable by a fine not to exceed $200.

(f) A person who violates Subsection (e) is also liable for the cost of the person's hospital care.

Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 678, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989.