(1) In addition to the powers specified in section 32-1-1001, the board of any health service district has any or all of the following powers for and on behalf of such district:
(a) To establish, maintain, or operate, directly or indirectly through lease to or from other parties or other arrangement, public hospitals, convalescent centers, nursing care facilities, intermediate care facilities, emergency facilities, community clinics, or other facilities providing health and personal care services, including but not limited to facilities licensed or certified pursuant to section 25-1.5-103 (1)(a), C.R.S., and to organize, own, operate, control, direct, manage, contract for, or furnish ambulance service in said district;
(b) To organize, own, operate, control, direct, manage, contract for, or furnish ambulance service;
(c) To draw warrants against health service district funds held by the county treasurer for the purposes set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this subsection (1);
(c.5) To enter into a collaborative agreement with another health service district; a county public hospital; a hospital affiliate; or a private, nonprofit hospital in accordance with section 25.5-1-1001;
(d) To contract with or work cooperatively and in conjunction with a health assurance district or other existing health-care provider or service to provide health-care services to the residents of such district; and
(e) To seek approval from the eligible electors in the health service district to collect, retain, and spend all revenue generated by any tax approved by the eligible electors in excess of the limitation provided in section 20 of article X of the state constitution.
(2) The board of county commissioners of any county or the governing body of any municipality within the health service district may transfer any real and personal property, whether or not theretofore used by the county or municipality for hospital purposes, to any newly organized health service district if such real and personal property is located in the newly organized district.
(3) A hospital district established prior to July 1, 1996, may continue to use and operate under the name it is using on June 30, 1996, or it may rename itself as otherwise provided by law and in accordance with this section. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the powers under prior law of a hospital district established prior to July 1, 1996.
(4) Nothing in this section or section 32-1-103 (9) shall be construed to limit any or all of the common powers of a special district as set forth in 32-1-1001 as it applies to a hospital district that was established prior to July 1, 1996, or a health service district established on or after July 1, 1996.
(5) Any health service district that is created pursuant to this article shall have the power, upon approval by the eligible electors of the district, to levy and collect a uniform sales tax throughout the entire geographic area of the district upon every transaction or other incident with respect to which a sales tax is levied by the state pursuant to the provisions of article 26 of title 39, C.R.S., excluding the sale of cigarettes, subject to the following provisions:
(a) For purposes of this subsection (5), eligible elector shall have the same meaning as set forth in section 32-19-102 (3).
(b) For purposes of complying with the provisions of section 32-1-301 (2)(d.1), the petition for organization shall set forth the estimated sales tax revenues for the health service district's first budget year if the district will seek approval from the eligible electors of the district to levy a sales tax in its first budget year.
(c) Any sales tax authorized pursuant to this subsection (5) shall be levied and collected as provided in section 32-19-112.
Source: L. 81: Entire article R&RE, p. 1597, � 1, effective July 1. L. 96: Entire section amended, p. 471, � 3, effective July 1. L. 2003: (1)(a) amended, p. 715, � 59, effective July 1. L. 2007: (1)(a) amended and (1)(d), (1)(e), and (5) added, pp. 1191, 1192, �� 11, 12, effective July 1. L. 2009: IP(5) amended, (HB 09-1342), ch. 354, p. 1847, � 4, effective July 1. L. 2023: (1)(c.5) added, (SB 23-298), ch. 343, p. 2058, � 3, effective August 7. L. 2025: (1)(c.5) amended, (SB 25-078), ch. 56, p. 236, � 3, effective August 6.
Editor's note: The provisions of this section are similar to provisions of several former sections as they existed prior to 1981. For a detailed comparison, see the comparative tables located in the back of the index.
32-1-1003.5. Health assurance districts - additional powers - legislative declaration - definitions. (1) The general assembly hereby finds, determines, and declares that access to health-care services is an increasing problem in Colorado and that some Coloradans do not have access to a primary care provider. It is the intent of the general assembly to ease the strain on Coloradan's health-care needs by allowing a special district to be created to provide health-care services. It is the intention of the general assembly to review the success of such efforts as authorized by subsection (2) of this section to determine the effectiveness of the program.
(2) In addition to the powers specified in section 32-1-1001, the board of any health assurance district has any or all of the following powers for and on behalf of such district:
(a) To organize, operate, control, direct, manage, contract for, furnish, or provide, directly or indirectly, health-care services to residents of the health assurance district who are in need of such services;
(b) To draw warrants against health assurance district funds held by the county treasurer for the purposes set forth in paragraph (a) of this subsection (2);
(c) To contract with or work cooperatively and in conjunction with a health service district or other existing health-care provider or service to provide health-care services to the residents of such district; and
(d) To seek approval from the eligible electors in the health assurance district to collect, retain, and spend all revenue generated by any tax approved by the eligible electors in excess of the limitation provided in section 20 of article X of the state constitution.
(3) The board of county commissioners of any county or the governing body of any municipality within the health assurance district may transfer any real and personal property, whether or not theretofore used by the county or municipality for hospital purposes, to any newly organized health assurance district if such real and personal property is located in the newly organized district.
(4) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2007, p. 1192, � 13, effective July 1, 2007.)
(5) Any health assurance district that is created pursuant to this article 1 shall have the power, upon approval by the eligible electors of the district, to levy and collect a uniform sales tax throughout the entire geographic area of the district upon every transaction or other incident with respect to which a sales tax is levied by the state pursuant to the provisions of article 26 of title 39, excluding the sale of cigarettes, subject to the following provisions:
(a) For purposes of this subsection (5), eligible elector shall have the same meaning as set forth in section 32-19-102 (3).
(b) For purposes of complying with the provisions of section 32-1-301 (2)(d.1), the petition for organization shall set forth the estimated sales tax revenues for the health assurance district's first budget year if the district will seek approval from the eligible electors of the district to levy a sales tax in its first budget year.
(c) Any sales tax authorized pursuant to this subsection (5) shall be collected, administered, and enforced by the executive director of the department of revenue as provided in part 2 of article 2 of title 29.
Source: L. 2001: Entire section added, p. 1164, � 14, effective June 5. L. 2007: (1), (2)(a), and (4) amended and (2)(c), (2)(d), and (5) added, pp. 1192, 1193, �� 13, 14, effective July 1. L. 2009: IP(5) amended, (HB 09-1342), ch. 354, p. 1847, � 5, effective July 1. L. 2024: IP(5) and (5)(c) amended, (SB 24-025), ch. 144, p. 570, � 24, effective July 1, 2025.
Editor's note: Section 54 of chapter 144 (SB 24-025), Session Laws of Colorado 2024, provides that the act changing this section applies to any taxable event occurring on or after July 1, 2025.
Cross references: For the legislative declaration contained in the 2001 act enacting this section, see section 1 of chapter 300, Session Laws of Colorado 2001.