§1097. Commission; powers, duties, responsibilities, limitations

            A. The commission and district shall have all the general powers, duties, functions, and responsibilities of a hospital service district created under Part I of this Chapter. Each commission created under this Part may construct or acquire a new general hospital facility in Orleans Parish or renovate an existing general hospital facility in Orleans Parish and provide for the operation of such facility.

            B. Each commission is further authorized to lease any such facility to any state or local agency, department, or other entity.

            C. No hospital shall be constructed or acquired pursuant to this Part until a professionally prepared financial feasibility study is completed, the findings of such study have been reported to the committees on health and welfare of the Senate and House of Representatives pursuant to R.S. 40:1094(D), and the report has been approved by the Louisiana Department of Health. Such study shall include an examination of the financial feasibility of staffing such an entity under the then current conditions, the funding of the construction or acquisition, and the costs of annual operation of the hospital. The study shall be conducted by a firm qualified for such purposes by the FHA 242 mortgage program.

            D. Nothing in this Part shall be construed to adversely affect the authority of any constitutionally created higher education management board, nor shall any entity created pursuant to this Part regulate any medical facility or higher education facility under the control of a constitutionally created higher education management board.

            Acts 2006, No. 830, §1, eff. July 5, 2006; Acts 2011, No. 278, §1, eff. June 28, 2011.