81R2971 ALB-D
By: Vaught H.J.R. No. 35
A JOINT RESOLUTION
proposing a constitutional amendment to allow the Dallas County and
Tarrant County Hospital Districts to expand their boundaries.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 4, Article IX, Texas Constitution, is
amended to read as follows:
Sec. 4. (a) The Legislature may by law authorize the
creation of county-wide Hospital Districts in counties having a
population in excess of 190,000 and in Galveston County, with power
to issue bonds for the purchase, acquisition, construction,
maintenance and operation of any county owned hospital, or where
the hospital system is jointly operated by a county and city within
the county, and to provide for the transfer to the county-wide
Hospital District of the title to any land, buildings or equipment,
jointly or separately owned, and for the assumption by the district
of any outstanding bonded indebtedness theretofore issued by any
county or city for the establishment of hospitals or hospital
facilities; to levy a tax not to exceed seventy-five ($.75) cents
on the One Hundred ($100.00) Dollars valuation of all taxable
property within such district, provided, however, that such
district shall be approved at an election held for that purpose, and
that only qualified voters in such county shall vote therein;
provided further, that such Hospital District shall assume full
responsibility for providing medical and hospital care to needy
inhabitants of the county, and thereafter such county and cities
therein shall not levy any other tax for hospital purposes; and
provided further that should such Hospital District construct,
maintain and support a hospital or hospital system, that the same
shall never become a charge against the State of Texas, nor shall
any direct appropriation ever be made by the Legislature for the
construction, maintenance or improvement of the said hospital or
hospitals.
(b) Notwithstanding Subsection (a) of this section, the
boundaries of the Dallas County or Tarrant County Hospital District
may be expanded to include territory outside Dallas or Tarrant
County if a majority of the qualified voters of the district and a
majority of the qualified voters of the territory to be included in
the district approve the expansion at separate elections called and
held for that purpose.
SECTION 2. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be
submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 3, 2009.
The ballot shall be printed to provide for voting for or against the
proposition: "The constitutional amendment to allow the Dallas
County and Tarrant County Hospital Districts to expand their
boundaries."