| 1 | 1 | | 81R20586 ALB-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Vaught, Kent H.B. No. 515 |
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| 3 | 3 | | Substitute the following for H.B. No. 515: |
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| 4 | 4 | | By: Sheffield C.S.H.B. No. 515 |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to the expansion of the boundaries of the Dallas County |
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| 10 | 10 | | Hospital District. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 281, Health and Safety |
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| 13 | 13 | | Code, is amended by adding Section 281.058 to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 281.058. EXPANSION OF DALLAS COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT |
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| 15 | 15 | | TERRITORY. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, registered voters |
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| 16 | 16 | | of a defined territory composed of one or more counties contiguous |
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| 17 | 17 | | to Dallas County, Texas, that is not included in the boundaries of |
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| 18 | 18 | | the Dallas County Hospital District may file a petition with the |
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| 19 | 19 | | Commissioners Court of Dallas County requesting inclusion in the |
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| 20 | 20 | | district. The petition must be signed by at least 50 registered |
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| 21 | 21 | | voters of the defined territory or a majority of those voters, |
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| 22 | 22 | | whichever is less. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (b) Regardless of whether a petition is filed under |
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| 24 | 24 | | Subsection (a), the Commissioners Court of Dallas County may pursue |
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| 25 | 25 | | the issue of annexing territory to the district. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (c) The Commissioners Court of Dallas County shall set a |
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| 27 | 27 | | time and place to hold a hearing on the issue of annexing territory |
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| 28 | 28 | | to the district. The commissioners court shall set a date for the |
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| 29 | 29 | | hearing that is not earlier than the 31st day after the date the |
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| 30 | 30 | | court issues the order. |
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| 31 | 31 | | (d) If after the hearing the Commissioners Court of Dallas |
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| 32 | 32 | | County finds that annexation of territory into the district would |
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| 33 | 33 | | be feasible and would benefit the district, the commissioners court |
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| 34 | 34 | | may approve the annexation by a resolution entered in its minutes. |
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| 35 | 35 | | If the commissioners court is acting in response to a petition, the |
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| 36 | 36 | | commissioners court is not required to include all of the territory |
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| 37 | 37 | | described in the petition if a modification or change is found to be |
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| 38 | 38 | | necessary or desirable. The Commissioners Court of Dallas County |
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| 39 | 39 | | shall send a copy of the resolution to the commissioners court of |
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| 40 | 40 | | each county in which the territory to be annexed is included. |
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| 41 | 41 | | (e) Annexation of territory is final when approved by a |
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| 42 | 42 | | majority of the voters at an election held in the district and by a |
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| 43 | 43 | | majority of the voters at a separate election held in the territory |
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| 44 | 44 | | to be annexed. If the district has outstanding debts or taxes, the |
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| 45 | 45 | | voters in the election to approve the annexation must also |
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| 46 | 46 | | determine if the annexed territory will assume its proportion of |
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| 47 | 47 | | the debts or taxes if added to the district. A commissioners court |
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| 48 | 48 | | that receives a copy of a resolution under Subsection (d) shall |
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| 49 | 49 | | cooperate with the Commissioners Court of Dallas County in holding |
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| 50 | 50 | | the elections required by this subsection. |
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| 51 | 51 | | (f) The election ballots shall be printed to provide for |
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| 52 | 52 | | voting for or against the following, as applicable: |
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| 53 | 53 | | (1) "Adding (description of territory to be added) to |
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| 54 | 54 | | the Dallas County Hospital District."; or |
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| 55 | 55 | | (2) "(Description of territory to be added) assuming |
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| 56 | 56 | | its proportionate share of the outstanding debts and taxes of the |
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| 57 | 57 | | Dallas County Hospital District, if it is added to the district." |
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| 58 | 58 | | (g) If territory to be included in the district under this |
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| 59 | 59 | | section is included in the boundaries of another hospital district, |
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| 60 | 60 | | the election to approve adding the territory to the district under |
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| 61 | 61 | | this section is to be treated for all purposes as an election to |
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| 62 | 62 | | dissolve the other hospital district in accordance with Section 9, |
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| 63 | 63 | | Article IX, Texas Constitution, and Sections 286.102 through |
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| 64 | 64 | | 286.106. |
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| 65 | 65 | | (h) The ballot language at an election to which Subsection |
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| 66 | 66 | | (g) applies must clearly state that the final approval of the |
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| 67 | 67 | | annexation of the territory will result in the dissolution of the |
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| 68 | 68 | | other hospital district. |
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| 69 | 69 | | (i) Once annexation is approved, the Commissioners Court of |
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| 70 | 70 | | Dallas County shall appoint an advisory committee with |
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| 71 | 71 | | representatives from each county included in the annexed territory |
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| 72 | 72 | | to represent the interests of the county. |
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| 73 | 73 | | (j) This section does not affect the authority given to the |
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| 74 | 74 | | Commissioners Court of Dallas County under this chapter. |
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| 75 | 75 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect on the date on which the |
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| 76 | 76 | | constitutional amendment proposed by the 81st Legislature, Regular |
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| 77 | 77 | | Session, 2009, to allow the Dallas County Hospital District to |
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| 78 | 78 | | expand its boundaries takes effect. If that amendment is not |
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| 79 | 79 | | approved by the voters, this Act has no effect. |
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