Sec. 18. (a) If the board, the county executive, and the county fiscal body determine that the community the hospital serves can best be provided with hospital services through management, enlargement, remodeling, or renovation of the hospital by a nonprofit hospital corporation, the board, the county executive, and the county fiscal body may agree by joint resolution, and after following the procedures of IC 16-22-6-18 concerning notice and hearing, to transfer all of the assets of the hospital to a nonprofit corporation.

(b) The transfer of the hospital assets to the nonprofit corporation must be on terms and conditions and for consideration as appears reasonable. The transfer agreement must require the nonprofit corporation to assume and agree to pay any indebtedness attributable to the hospital buildings. The size, composition, and qualifications of the membership and the board of directors of the nonprofit corporation must be set forth in the corporation's articles of incorporation.

(c) An individual who is a:

(1) board member, in the member's capacity as a board member; or

(2) member of:

(A) the county executive; or

(B) the county fiscal body;

is immune from potential or actual liability attributable to the individual with respect to a transfer under subsection (b).

(d) In the event of a transfer under this section, the county is not liable for:

(1) any liabilities of the hospital that:

(A) were incurred on or before; or

(B) are incurred at any time after;

the transfer date; or

(2) any future liabilities incurred by the successor entity;

unless otherwise agreed to by the county at the time of the transfer in the transfer document. Any liabilities described in this subsection are the responsibility of the entity to which the assets were transferred, unless agreed to otherwise in the transfer document.

(e) The board, the county executive, and the county fiscal body shall execute a deed of conveyance and other documents necessary to transfer the assets of the hospital to the nonprofit corporation. The county executive shall deposit the proceeds from the transfer in:

(1) a nonexpendable interest bearing trust fund from which claims are paid for county hospital claims for the indigent or any other fund that the county executive and county fiscal body designate; or

(2) the county general fund.

(f) If the nonprofit corporation described in this section ceases doing business, is terminated, or is dissolved, funds or property remaining after payment of all lawful debts become the property of the county. A provision to this effect must be included in the articles of incorporation of the nonprofit corporation and may not be amended or deleted without the written approval of the commissioners.

(g) The board may sell, convey, or otherwise transfer real or personal property from the hospital to an entity related to or controlled by the hospital for constructing buildings on behalf of the hospital. The transfer is not subject to the notice and appraisal requirements under this section. The board may make the transfer upon terms and conditions the board considers appropriate. The board shall issue a deed of conveyance to the transferee.

[Pre-1993 Recodification Citation: 16-12.1-3-15(h), (i), (j), (k), (l).]

As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.5. Amended by P.L.35-1997, SEC.8.