81R20586 ALB-D
By: Vaught, Kent H.B. No. 515
Substitute the following for H.B. No. 515:
By: Sheffield C.S.H.B. No. 515
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the expansion of the boundaries of the Dallas County
Hospital District.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 281, Health and Safety
Code, is amended by adding Section 281.058 to read as follows:
Sec. 281.058. EXPANSION OF DALLAS COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT
TERRITORY. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, registered voters
of a defined territory composed of one or more counties contiguous
to Dallas County, Texas, that is not included in the boundaries of
the Dallas County Hospital District may file a petition with the
Commissioners Court of Dallas County requesting inclusion in the
district. The petition must be signed by at least 50 registered
voters of the defined territory or a majority of those voters,
whichever is less.
(b) Regardless of whether a petition is filed under
Subsection (a), the Commissioners Court of Dallas County may pursue
the issue of annexing territory to the district.
(c) The Commissioners Court of Dallas County shall set a
time and place to hold a hearing on the issue of annexing territory
to the district. The commissioners court shall set a date for the
hearing that is not earlier than the 31st day after the date the
court issues the order.
(d) If after the hearing the Commissioners Court of Dallas
County finds that annexation of territory into the district would
be feasible and would benefit the district, the commissioners court
may approve the annexation by a resolution entered in its minutes.
If the commissioners court is acting in response to a petition, the
commissioners court is not required to include all of the territory
described in the petition if a modification or change is found to be
necessary or desirable. The Commissioners Court of Dallas County
shall send a copy of the resolution to the commissioners court of
each county in which the territory to be annexed is included.
(e) Annexation of territory is final when approved by a
majority of the voters at an election held in the district and by a
majority of the voters at a separate election held in the territory
to be annexed. If the district has outstanding debts or taxes, the
voters in the election to approve the annexation must also
determine if the annexed territory will assume its proportion of
the debts or taxes if added to the district. A commissioners court
that receives a copy of a resolution under Subsection (d) shall
cooperate with the Commissioners Court of Dallas County in holding
the elections required by this subsection.
(f) The election ballots shall be printed to provide for
voting for or against the following, as applicable:
(1) "Adding (description of territory to be added) to
the Dallas County Hospital District."; or
(2) "(Description of territory to be added) assuming
its proportionate share of the outstanding debts and taxes of the
Dallas County Hospital District, if it is added to the district."
(g) If territory to be included in the district under this
section is included in the boundaries of another hospital district,
the election to approve adding the territory to the district under
this section is to be treated for all purposes as an election to
dissolve the other hospital district in accordance with Section 9,
Article IX, Texas Constitution, and Sections 286.102 through
286.106.
(h) The ballot language at an election to which Subsection
(g) applies must clearly state that the final approval of the
annexation of the territory will result in the dissolution of the
other hospital district.
(i) Once annexation is approved, the Commissioners Court of
Dallas County shall appoint an advisory committee with
representatives from each county included in the annexed territory
to represent the interests of the county.
(j) This section does not affect the authority given to the
Commissioners Court of Dallas County under this chapter.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect on the date on which the
constitutional amendment proposed by the 81st Legislature, Regular
Session, 2009, to allow the Dallas County Hospital District to
expand its boundaries takes effect. If that amendment is not
approved by the voters, this Act has no effect.