S-813                 _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 5310

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State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1987 Regular Session

By Senator Barr

Read first time 1/22/87 and referred to Committee on  Governmental Operations.

AN ACT Relating to emergency medical service districts; amending RCW 36.32.480; and adding a new section to chapter 36.32 RCW.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 2, chapter 200, Laws of 1979 ex. sess. and RCW 36.32.480 are each amended to read as follows:

          A county legislative authority may adopt an ordinance creating an emergency medical service district in all or a portion of the unincorporated area of the county.  The ordinance may only be adopted after a public hearing has been held on the creation of such a district and the county legislative authority makes a finding that it is in the public interest to create the district.  The members of the county legislative authority shall be the governing body of the emergency medical service district, unless the county legislative authority finds that the public interest would be best served by the election of district commissioners, as provided in section 2 of this act.

          An emergency medical service district shall be a quasi-municipal corporation and an independent taxing "authority" within the meaning of Article 7, Section 1, Washington State Constitution. Emergency medical service districts shall also be "taxing authorities" within the meaning of Article 7, Section 2, Washington State Constitution.

          An emergency medical service district shall have the authority to provide emergency medical services.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 36.32 RCW to read as follows:

          If a county legislative authority finds that the public interest would best be served by the election of district commissioners pursuant to RCW 36.32.480, it shall provide for the election of three commissioners at a general election.

          Commissioners shall be qualified electors of the emergency medical service district.  Nominations shall be by at least twenty-five of the qualified electors of the district, filed in the auditor's office of the county in which the district is located, at least thirty days before the election.

          At the election of the first board of commissioners, the candidate receiving the greatest number of votes shall be elected to a term of six years, the candidate receiving the next greatest number of votes shall be elected to a term of four years, and the candidate receiving the next greatest number of votes shall be elected to a term of two years.  The members of the first board of commissioners shall take office immediately upon their election and qualification.  The terms of the first commissioners to be elected shall also include the time intervening between the date of their qualification and the first day of January.  Thereafter terms shall be for six years, commencing on the first day of January following the election.

          Vacancies on the board shall be filled by appointment by the remaining commissioner or commissioners until the next regular election for commissioners.   If there is a vacancy of the entire board a new board may be appointed by the county legislative authority.