FINAL BILL REPORT

                  HB 2205

                          C 79 L 94

                     Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Creating urban emergency medical service districts.

By Representatives Cothern, L. Johnson and H. Myers.

House Committee on Local Government

House Committee on Revenue

Senate Committee on Government Operations

Background:  Voters of the five following taxing districts may approve ballot propositions authorizing the taxing district to impose annual regular property taxes of up to 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation for six years to finance emergency medical services:

oCounties;

oCities and towns;

oFire protection districts;

oPublic hospital districts; and

oEmergency medical service districts.

The vote that is necessary to authorize these regular property taxes is at least a 60 percent affirmative vote, with a 40 percent validation requirement.

An emergency medical service district is a special district that may be created in the unincorporated area of a county to provide and finance emergency medical services.  The county legislative authority acts in an ex officio capacity as the governing body of an emergency medical service district.

If a county imposes the property tax for emergency medical services, no taxing district within its boundaries may impose this tax.

Voters of King County have authorized the county to impose the regular property tax to finance emergency medical services.  Snohomish County does not impose the emergency medical service tax.  Most of the city of Bothell is located in King County, but a part of Bothell is also located in Snohomish County.

Summary:  The council of a city or town located in two counties may create an urban emergency medical service district in the portion of the city or town located in one of the two counties if:

oThe county in which the district is to be located does not impose the property tax to fund emergency medical services; and

oThe other county in which the city or town is located does impose the property tax to fund emergency medical services.

The city or town council must hold a public hearing on the creation of the emergency medical service district prior to creating the district by ordinance.  The city or town council acts in an ex officio capacity as the governing body of an urban emergency medical service district.  Voters of the urban emergency medical service district are the registered voters residing in the district.

An urban emergency medical service district is authorized to provide emergency medical services within its boundaries by contracting with a county, city, town, fire protection district, public hospital district, or emergency medical service district to provide those services.

Voters in an urban emergency medical service district may approve ballot propositions authorizing the district to impose annual regular property taxes of up to 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation for six years to finance emergency medical services.  The ballot proposition authorizing the taxes must be approved by at least a 60 percent affirmative vote, with a 40 percent validation requirement.

Votes on Final Passage:

House  91 0

Senate 46 0

Effective:  June 9, 1994