Florida Senate - 2016                                     SB 614
       
       
        
       By Senator Hutson
       
       
       
       
       
       6-00240-16                                             2016614__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to hospital districts; defining the
    3         term “hospital district”; requiring decennial
    4         reauthorization of the taxing authority of certain
    5         hospital districts by general election ballot;
    6         terminating the taxing authority of a hospital
    7         district and providing for the allocation of assets
    8         and liabilities of a dissolved hospital district if
    9         the referendum reauthorizing the district’s taxing
   10         authority is not approved by majority vote of the
   11         electors; prohibiting a hospital district from levying
   12         a property tax without a referendum of electors
   13         pursuant to the act; providing an effective date.
   14          
   15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   16  
   17         Section 1. (1) As used in this act, the term “hospital
   18  district” means a special district as defined in s. 189.012,
   19  Florida Statutes, the governing body of which is the governing
   20  body of a facility licensed under chapter 395, Florida Statutes.
   21         (2)(a) On or before July 1, 2016, and every 10 years
   22  thereafter, each hospital district with taxing authority,
   23  whether organized as an independent or dependent special
   24  district or created by special act or local ordinance, shall
   25  arrange to place on the next general election ballot of the
   26  electors residing within the hospital district the following
   27  question: “Shall the taxing authority of the ...(name of
   28  hospital district)... be reauthorized, for a 10-year period, to
   29  levy a tax of ...(amount of tax not to exceed 2 mills)..., the
   30  proceeds of which will fund indigent care for residents of the
   31  hospital district?” and thereafter the words “Yes” and “No.”
   32         (b) If a majority of the electors residing within a
   33  hospital district does not approve the reauthorization ballot
   34  question described in paragraph (a), the taxing authority of the
   35  hospital district terminates effective on July 1 immediately
   36  following the general election and the governing board may
   37  maintain the hospital district without taxing authority or
   38  dissolve the hospital district. If the hospital district is
   39  dissolved, the assets and liabilities of the hospital district
   40  shall be transferred and assumed as specified in s. 189.076(2),
   41  Florida Statutes.
   42         Section 2. Notwithstanding any general law, special law, or
   43  local ordinance to the contrary, a hospital district may not
   44  levy a property tax without the prior approval of a majority of
   45  the electors residing within the district voting in a referendum
   46  pursuant to this act.
   47         Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.