78R8295 T

By:  Jones of Lubbock                                             H.B. No. 2232



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the expansion of the Lubbock County Hospital District.            
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 2(a), Chapter 484, Acts of the 60th 
Legislature, Regular Session, 1967, is amended to read as follows:
	(a)  The boundaries of this district are coterminous with the 
boundaries of Lubbock County, Texas, as the same appear of record 
according to the field notes and plats on file in the office of the 
County Clerk of Lubbock County, Texas, unless the boundaries are 
expanded under Section 2A of this Act or other applicable law.
	SECTION 2.  Chapter 484, Acts of the 60th Legislature, 
Regular Session, 1967, is amended by adding Section 2A to read as 
follows:
	Sec. 2A.  EXPANSION OF DISTRICT TERRITORY.  (a)  Registered 
voters of a county that is not included in the boundaries of the 
district or the boundaries of another hospital district may file a 
petition with the secretary of the board of managers requesting the 
inclusion of the county in the district.  The county is not required 
to be contiguous to Lubbock County.  The petition must be signed by 
at least 50 registered voters of the county or a majority of those 
voters, whichever is less, and must be endorsed by the 
commissioners court of that county.
	(b)  The board of managers by order shall set a time and place 
to hold a hearing on the petition to include the county in the 
district.  The board shall set a date for the hearing that is not 
earlier than the 31st day after the date the board issues the order.
	(c)  If after the hearing the board of managers finds that 
annexation of the county into the district would be feasible and 
would benefit the district, the board may approve the annexation by 
a resolution entered in its minutes.  The board shall send a copy of 
the resolution to the Commissioners Court of Lubbock County.  If the 
commissioners court endorses the resolution, the board of managers 
and the commissioners court of the county to be annexed shall each 
order an election under Subsection (d) of this section to approve 
the annexation.
	(d)  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 county 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 county will assume its proportion of the 
debts or taxes if added to the district.
	(e)  The election ballots shall be printed to provide for 
voting for or against the following, as applicable:
		(1)  "Adding _______ County to the Lubbock County 
Hospital District."
		(2)  "_______ County assuming its proportionate share 
of the outstanding debts and taxes of the  Lubbock County Hospital 
District, if it is added to the district."
	(f)  The election shall be held after the 45th day and on or 
before the 60th day after the date the election is ordered.  The 
election shall be ordered and notice of the election shall be given 
in the same manner as provided by Sections 4(b) and (c) of this Act 
for ordering and giving notice of an election authorizing creation 
of the district.  Section 41.001(a), Election Code, does not apply 
to an election held under this section.
	(g)  Another hospital district may be merged into the Lubbock 
County Hospital District by following the procedures set out in 
this section for inclusion of a county in the district, except that 
the board of managers of the other hospital district shall order the 
election to be held in that area.  If the merger is approved by the 
voters of the district and the voters of the other district, the 
board of managers of the two districts shall enter into a merger 
agreement by which the district shall assume all of the assets and 
liabilities of the other district on the date of the merger.
	SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this 
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 
Act takes effect September 1, 2003.