Sec. 314A.003.  LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND PURPOSES; GRANT OF ANTITRUST IMMUNITY.  (a)  The legislature finds that:
(1)  a merger among hospitals may benefit the public by maintaining or improving the quality, efficiency, and accessibility of health care services offered to the public; and
(2)  the benefits described by Subdivision (1) resulting from the merger may outweigh any anticompetitive effects of joining together competitors to address unique challenges in providing health care services in rural areas.
(b)  The legislature believes it is in the state's best interest to supplant state and federal antitrust laws with a process for regulatory approval and active supervision by the designated agency as provided by this chapter.  It is the intent of the legislature that this chapter immunize from all federal and state antitrust laws the execution of merger agreements approved under this chapter and post-merger activities supervised under this chapter.
(c)  Nothing in this chapter affects antitrust immunity that may be provided through another provision of state law.
Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1168 (H.B. 3301), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2019.