5354 AMH LGH H2963.1

SB 5354  - H COMM AMD
     By Committee on Local Government & Housing

ADOPTED 04/16/2009

     Beginning on page 1, line 18, after "islands" strike all material through "boundaries" on page 2, line 4, and insert "that receives medical services from a hospital district, but is prevented by geography and the absence of contiguous boundaries from annexing to that district"

     Beginning on page 2, line 16, strike all of section 3 and insert the following:

"NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   ESTABLISHING A PUBLIC HOSPITAL CAPITAL FACILITY AREA--BALLOT PROPOSITIONS. (1)(a) Upon receipt of a completed petition to both establish a public hospital capital facility area and submit a ballot proposition under section 7 of this act to finance public hospital capital facilities and other capital health care facilities, the legislative authority of the county in which a proposed public hospital capital facility area is to be established shall submit separate ballot propositions to voters to authorize establishing the proposed public hospital capital facility area and authorizing the public hospital capital facility area, if established, to finance public hospital capital facilities or other capital health care facilities by issuing general indebtedness and imposing excess levies to retire the indebtedness. A petition submitted under this section must be accompanied by a written request to establish a public hospital capital facility area that is signed by a majority of the commissioners of the public hospital district serving the proposed area.
     (b) The ballot propositions must be submitted to voters of the proposed public hospital capital facility area at a general or special election. If the proposed election date is not a general election, the county legislative authority is encouraged to request an election when another unit of local government with territory located in the proposed public hospital capital facility area is already holding a special election under RCW 29A.04.330. Approval of the ballot proposition to create a public hospital capital facility area requires a sixty percent affirmative vote by the voters participating in the election.
     (2) A completed petition submitted under this section must include:
     (a) A description of the boundaries of the public hospital capital facility area; and
     (b) A copy of a resolution of the legislative authority of each city, town, and hospital district with territory in the proposed public hospital capital facility area indicating both: (i) Approval of the creation of the proposed public hospital capital facility area; and (ii) agreement on how election costs will be paid for ballot propositions to voters that authorize the public hospital capital facility area to incur general indebtedness and impose excess levies to retire the general indebtedness."

     On page 3, line 16, after "facility" insert "area"

     On page 3, line 21, after "proposed" strike "district" and insert "public hospital capital facility area"

     On page 5, at the beginning of line 36, strike "chapter 70.44 RCW" and insert "this chapter"

EFFECT:  (1) Removes a provision that requires island counties choosing to establish a public hospital capital facility area (facility area) to have a total land area of between 38 and 40 square miles. (2) Changes references in facility area establishment provisions from "written request" to "petition." (3) Changes an erroneous reference in provisions pertaining to limitations on legal challenges from "chapter 70.44 RCW" to "this chapter." (4) Makes numerous technical changes.

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