BILL REQ. #:  S-3903.1 

Read first time 01/18/08.   Referred to Committee on Government Operations & Elections.

     AN ACT Relating to annexations by hospital districts; and amending RCW 70.44.210, 70.44.220, and 70.44.230.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 70.44.210 and 1967 c 227 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:
     As an alternate method of annexation to public hospital districts, any territory adjacent to a public hospital district may be annexed thereto by vote of the qualified electors residing in the territory to be annexed, in the manner provided in RCW 70.44.210 through 70.44.230. An election to annex such territory may only be called pursuant to a resolution calling for such an election adopted by the district commissioners following two public hearings on such a resolution. Both hearings on a resolution must be held within the boundaries of the territory to be annexed.
     Any resolution calling for such an election shall describe the boundaries of the territory to be annexed, state that the annexation of such territory to the public hospital district will be conducive to the welfare and benefit of the persons or property within the district and within the territory proposed to be annexed, contain the tax implications of the annexation along with how the money will be spent, and fix the date, time, and place for a public hearing thereon which date shall be not more than sixty nor less than forty days following the adoption of such resolution.

Sec. 2   RCW 70.44.220 and 1967 c 227 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:
     Notice of ((such)) each of the two required hearings shall be published once a week for at least ((two)) the three consecutive weeks immediately before the hearings in one or more newspapers of general circulation within the territory proposed to be annexed. If the territory to be annexed is only served by newspapers of general circulation publishing on a monthly or bimonthly basis, notice of the two required hearings shall be published for at least three respective newspaper publishing dates immediately before the hearings. The notice shall contain a description of the boundaries of the territory proposed to be annexed, the tax implications of the annexation along with how the money will be spent, and shall state the time and place of the hearing thereon and the fact that any changes in the boundaries of such territory will be considered at such time and place. At such hearings or any continuation thereof, any interested person may appear and be heard on all matters relating to the proposed annexation. The district commissioners may make such changes in the boundaries of the territory proposed to be annexed as it shall deem reasonable and proper, but may not delete any portion of the proposed area which will create an island of included or excluded lands. If the district commissioners shall determine that any additional territory should be included in the territory to be annexed, ((a second)) an additional hearing shall be held and notice given in the same manner as for the original hearings. The district commissioners may adjourn the hearings on the proposed annexation from time to time not exceeding thirty days in all. At the next regular meeting following the conclusion of such hearings, the district commissioners shall, if it finds that the annexation of such territory will be conducive to the welfare and benefit of the persons and property therein and the welfare and benefit of the persons and property within the public hospital district, adopt a resolution fixing the boundaries of the territory to be annexed and causing to be called a special election on such annexation to be held not more than one hundred twenty days nor less than sixty days following the adoption of such resolution.

Sec. 3   RCW 70.44.230 and 1967 c 227 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:
     An election on the annexation of territory to a public hospital district shall be conducted and canvassed in the same manner as provided for the conduct of an election on the formation of a public hospital district except that notice of such election shall be published in one or more newspapers of general circulation in the territory proposed to be annexed for the three consecutive weeks immediately before the election and the ballot proposition shall be in substantially the following form:

ANNEXATION TO (herein insert name of public hospital district)

     "Shall the territory described in a resolution of the public hospital district commissioners of (((here)) insert name of public hospital district here) adopted on . . . ., . . . . . ., ((19)) 20. . ., be annexed to such district and should that district impose a permanent regular property tax levy of (insert maximum amount of tax here) or less per thousand dollars of the assessed valuation, with money raised under this tax to be spent as follows: (insert how tax money will be spent)?