BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 1618
87R5777 SRA-D	By: Leman (Kolkhorst)
	Health & Human Services
	5/10/2021
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

It has been suggested that the current petition threshold of only 100 signatures of registered voters for the creation of a hospital district is too low and does not reflect the true desire of the majority of the registered voters in a proposed district. These elections often fail, resulting in wasted taxpayer dollars for an election that was not merited in the first place. H.B. 1618 seeks to address this issue by requiring a petition for the creation of a hospital district to be signed by at least three percent of the registered voters of the applicable territory if that amount is greater than 100 such voters.

H.B. 1618 amends current law relating to the number of signatures required on a petition filed in connection with an election to create certain hospital districts.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Sections 286.021(a) and (b), Health and Safety Code, as follows:

(a) Requires the county judge of that county, before a district located wholly in one county may be created, to receive a petition signed by the greater of:

(1) at least three percent of the registered voters of the territory of the proposed district; or

(2) creates this subdivision from existing text and makes no further changes.

(b) Requires the county judge of each county in which the proposed district will be located, before a district that contains territory located in more than one county may be created, to receive a petition signed by the greater of:

(1) at least three percent of the registered voters of the territory of the county in which the judge presides and of the proposed district; or

(2) creates this subdivision from existing text and makes a nonsubstantive change.

Makes nonsubstantive changes.

SECTION 2. Provides that the change in law made by this Act applies only to a petition filed under Section 286.021 (Petition for Creation of District), Health and Safety Code, on or after the effective date of this Act. Provides that a petition filed under that section before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the petition was filed, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2021.