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A JOINT RESOLUTION
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proposing a constitutional amendment to allow the Dallas County and |
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Tarrant County Hospital Districts to expand their boundaries. |
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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 4, Article IX, Texas Constitution, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 4. (a) The Legislature may by law authorize the |
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creation of county-wide Hospital Districts in counties having a |
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population in excess of 190,000 and in Galveston County, with power |
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to issue bonds for the purchase, acquisition, construction, |
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maintenance and operation of any county owned hospital, or where |
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the hospital system is jointly operated by a county and city within |
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the county, and to provide for the transfer to the county-wide |
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Hospital District of the title to any land, buildings or equipment, |
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jointly or separately owned, and for the assumption by the district |
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of any outstanding bonded indebtedness theretofore issued by any |
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county or city for the establishment of hospitals or hospital |
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facilities; to levy a tax not to exceed seventy-five ($.75) cents |
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on the One Hundred ($100.00) Dollars valuation of all taxable |
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property within such district, provided, however, that such |
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district shall be approved at an election held for that purpose, and |
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that only qualified voters in such county shall vote therein; |
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provided further, that such Hospital District shall assume full |
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responsibility for providing medical and hospital care to needy |
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inhabitants of the county, and thereafter such county and cities |
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therein shall not levy any other tax for hospital purposes; and |
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provided further that should such Hospital District construct, |
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maintain and support a hospital or hospital system, that the same |
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shall never become a charge against the State of Texas, nor shall |
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any direct appropriation ever be made by the Legislature for the |
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construction, maintenance or improvement of the said hospital or |
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hospitals. |
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(b) Notwithstanding Subsection (a) of this section, the |
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boundaries of the Dallas County or Tarrant County Hospital District |
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may be expanded to include territory outside Dallas or Tarrant |
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County if a majority of the qualified voters of the district and a |
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majority of the qualified voters of the territory to be included in |
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the district approve the expansion at separate elections called and |
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held for that purpose. |
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SECTION 2. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be |
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submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 3, 2009. |
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The ballot shall be printed to provide for voting for or against the |
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proposition: "The constitutional amendment to allow the Dallas |
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County and Tarrant County Hospital Districts to expand their |
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boundaries." |