Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  "The legislature intends to clarify the limits on public hospital districts to delegate the core legislative powers of the district and its elected board of commissioners to another decision-making body. As a duly constituted public hospital district, elected commissioners must maintain and exercise their authority to carry out core legislative powers, including the power to approve or reject proposed tax levy measures, the issuance of bonds, the appointment of the district's superintendent, and the district's annual budget. The legislature further intends that elected commissioners for a public hospital district may not delegate their core legislative powers to another decision-making body without the approval of the voters in that district.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 70.44 RCW to read as follows:

A public hospital district may not enter into an agreement delegating any of the core legislative powers of its elected commissioners to another decision-making body unless a proposition to ratify such an agreement is submitted to the voters of the public hospital district at the next general election. The text of the proposition to ratify the agreement, an explanatory statement describing the measure, and statements for and against the measure must be included in the local voters' pamphlet as provided in RCW 29A.32.210 through 29A.32.280. The election must be conducted as provided in Title 29A RCW. The costs of the election must be paid by the public hospital district and the entity to which the powers have been delegated. If the agreement is not ratified by a majority of the votes cast on the proposition, the agreement is terminated.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 70.44 RCW to read as follows:

(1) For any public hospital district that has entered into an agreement delegating any of the core legislative powers of its elected commissioners to another decision-making body prior to the effective date of this section, a majority vote of approval from the district's elected commissioners is required for every decision regarding: (a) The approval of a tax levy; (b) the adoption of the district's annual budget; (c) the issuance of bonds; or (d) the appointment or removal of the district's superintendent. If a majority of the district's elected commissioners do not vote to approve the proposed decision, the proposed decision is void unless it is submitted to and approved by the voters of the district at the next general election in the manner described in subsection (2) of this section.

(2) The text of the proposition to ratify the decision, an explanatory statement describing the measure, and statements for and against the measure must be included in the local voters' pamphlet as provided in RCW 29A.32.210 through 29A.32.280. The election must be conducted as provided in Title 29A RCW. The costs of the election must be paid by the public hospital district and the entity to which the powers have been delegated. If the decision is not ratified by a majority of the votes cast on the proposition, the decision is void.

Sec. 4.  RCW 70.44.007 and 1997 c 332 s 15 are each amended to read as follows:

As used in this chapter, the following words have the meanings indicated:

(1) "Core legislative powers" means the power to levy a property tax, to adopt a budget for the public hospital district in compliance with RCW 70.44.060(6), to issue bonds, and to appoint or remove the superintendent of the public hospital district.

(2) "Other health care facilities" means nursing home, extended care, long-term care, outpatient and rehabilitative facilities, ambulances, and such other facilities as are appropriate to the health needs of the population served.

(((2))) (3) "Other health care services" means nursing home, extended care, long-term care, outpatient, rehabilitative, health maintenance, and ambulance services and such other services as are appropriate to the health needs of the population served.

(((3))) (4) "Public hospital district" or "district" means public health care service district."

On page 1, line 1 of the title, after "Relating to" strike the remainder of the title and insert "the core legislative powers of elected commissioners of a public hospital district; amending RCW 70.44.007; adding new sections to chapter 70.44 RCW; and creating a new section."

EFFECT: Requires that any agreement by a public hospital district's board of commissioners that delegates core legislative powers to another decision-making body must be ratified by the district's voters or be terminated. Requires that any decisions made under a joint agreement that regard the core legislative powers must be approved by a majority of the district's elected commissioners or, if not approved, must be ratified by the district's voters. If not ratified, the decision is void. Defines core legislative powers as the power to levy a property tax, to adopt a budget, to issue bonds, and to appoint or remove the superintendent of the public hospital district.