Title 70 — Title 70 PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY

The purpose of chapter 70.44 RCW is to authorize the establishment of public hospital districts to own and operate hospitals and other health care facilities and to provide hospital services and other health care services for the residents of such districts and other persons.[ 19…

As used in this chapter, the following words have the meanings indicated:(1) "Other health care facilities" means nursing home, extended care, long-term care, outpatient, and rehabilitative facilities; ambulances; facilities that promote health, wellness, and prevention of illnes…

Municipal corporations, to be known as public hospital districts, are hereby authorized and may be established within the several counties of the state as hereinafter provided.[ 1947 c 225 s 1; 1945 c 264 s 2; Rem. Supp. 1947 s 6090-31. FORMER PART OF SECTION: 1945 c 264 s 1 now …

Each and all of the respective areas of land heretofore attempted to be organized into public hospital districts under the provisions of this chapter are validated and declared to be duly existing hospital districts having the respective boundaries set forth in their organization…

Each and all of the respective areas of land attempted to be organized into public hospital districts prior to June 10, 1982, under the provisions of chapter 70.44 RCW where the canvass of the election on the proposition of creating a public hospital district shows the passage of…

At any general election or at any special election which may be called for that purpose, the county legislative authority of a county may, or on petition of ten percent of the registered voters of the county based on the total vote cast in the last general county election, shall,…

Unless commenced within thirty days after the date of the filing of the certificate of the canvass of an election on the proposition of creating a new public hospital district pursuant to chapter 70.44 RCW, no lawsuit whatever may be maintained challenging in any way the legal ex…

Any petition for the formation of a public hospital district may describe a less area than the entire county in which the petition is filed, the boundaries of which shall follow the then existing precinct boundaries and not divide any voting precinct; and in the event that such a…

Any petition for the formation of a public hospital district may describe an area lying in more than one county, the boundaries of which shall follow the then existing precinct boundaries and not divide a voting precinct; and if a petition is filed with the county auditor of the …

(1) The provisions of Title 29A RCW relating to elections shall govern public hospital districts, except as provided in this chapter.A public hospital district shall be created when the ballot proposition authorizing the creation of the district is approved by a simple majority v…

No appointment to fill a vacant position on or election to the board of commissioners of any public hospital district made after June 9, 1994, and before April 21, 1997, is deemed to be invalid solely due to the public hospital district's failure to redraw its commissioner distri…

Notwithstanding any provision in RCW 70.44.040 to the contrary, any board of public hospital district commissioners may, by resolution, abolish commissioner districts and permit candidates for any position on the board to reside anywhere in the public hospital district.At any gen…

A vacancy in the office of commissioner shall occur as provided in chapter 42.12 RCW or by nonattendance at meetings of the commission for sixty days, unless excused by the commission. A vacancy shall be filled as provided in chapter 42.12 RCW.[ 1994 c 223 s 79; 1982 c 84 s 13; 1…

If, as the result of redrawing the boundaries of commissioner districts as permitted or required under the provisions of this chapter, chapter 29A.76 RCW, or any other statute, more than the correct number of commissioners who are associated with commissioner districts reside in …

Each commissioner shall receive ninety dollars for each day or portion thereof spent in actual attendance at official meetings of the district commission, or in performance of other official services or duties on behalf of the district, to include meetings of the commission of hi…

At any general or special election which may be called for that purpose the board of public hospital district commissioners may, or on petition of ten percent of the voters based on the total vote cast in the last district general election in the public hospital district shall, b…

If the voters of the district approve the ballot proposition authorizing the increase in the number of commissioners to either five or seven members, the additional commissioners shall be elected at large from the entire district; provided that, the board of commissioners of the …

In all existing public hospital districts in which an increase in the number of district commissioners is proposed, the additional commissioner positions shall be deemed to be vacant and the board of commissioners of the public hospital district shall appoint qualified persons to…

Public hospital districts may employ chaplains for their hospitals, health care facilities, and hospice programs.[ 1993 c 234 s 1.]Notes:Contingent effective date—1993 c 234: "This act shall take effect on January 1, 1994, if the proposed amendment to Article I, section 11 of the…

All public hospital districts organized under the provisions of this chapter shall have power:(1) To make a survey of existing hospital and other health care facilities within and without such district.(2) To construct, condemn and purchase, purchase, acquire, lease, add to, main…

(1) All meetings, proceedings, and deliberations of the board of commissioners, its staff or agents, concerning the granting, denial, revocation, restriction, or other consideration of the status of the clinical or staff privileges of a physician or other health care provider as …

In addition to other authority that a public hospital district possesses, a public hospital district may provide any public improvement as defined under RCW 39.89.020, but this additional authority is limited to participating in the financing of the public improvements as provide…

(1) The public hospital district commission shall appoint a superintendent, who shall be appointed for an indefinite time and be removable at the will of the commission. Appointments and removals shall be by resolution, introduced at a regular meeting and adopted at the same or a…

(1) The superintendent shall be the chief administrative officer of the public district hospital and shall have control of administrative functions of the district. The superintendent shall be responsible to the commission for the efficient administration of all affairs of the di…

(1) The public hospital district superintendent shall have the power, and duty:(a) To carry out the orders of the commission, and to see that all the laws of the state pertaining to matters within the functions of the district are duly enforced.(b) To keep the commission fully ad…

Whenever the commission deems it advisable that the district acquire or construct a public hospital, or other health care facilities, or make additions or betterments thereto, or extensions thereof, it shall provide therefor by resolution, which shall specify and adopt the plan p…

The principal and interest of such general bonds shall be paid by levying each year a tax upon the taxable property within the district sufficient, together with other revenues of the district available for such purpose, to pay said interest and principal of said bonds, which tax…

(1) All materials purchased and work ordered, the estimated cost of which is in excess of $75,000, shall be by contract. Before awarding any such contract, the commission shall publish a notice at least 13 days before the last date upon which bids will be received, inviting seale…

The treasurer of the county in which a public hospital district is located shall be treasurer of the district, except that the commission by resolution may designate some other person having experience in financial or fiscal matters as treasurer of the district. If the treasurer …

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, including RCW 70.44.040, whenever the boundary line between contiguous hospital districts bisects an irrigation block unit placing part of the unit in one hospital district and the balance thereof in another such district, the county au…

Two or more contiguous hospital districts, whether the territory therein lies in one or more counties, may consolidate by following the procedure outlined in chapter 35.10 RCW with reference to consolidation of cities and towns.[ 1953 c 267 s 3.]

(1) A public hospital district may annex territory outside the existing boundaries of such district and contiguous thereto, whether the territory lies in one or more counties, in accordance with this section.(2) A petition for annexation of territory contiguous to a public hospit…

As an alternate method of annexation to public hospital districts, any territory adjacent to a public hospital district may be annexed thereto by vote of the qualified electors residing in the territory to be annexed, in the manner provided in RCW 70.44.210 through 70.44.230. An …

Notice of such hearing shall be published once a week for at least two consecutive weeks in one or more newspapers of general circulation within the territory proposed to be annexed. The notice shall contain a description of the boundaries of the territory proposed to be annexed …

An election on the annexation of territory to a public hospital district shall be conducted and canvassed in the same manner as provided for the conduct of an election on the formation of a public hospital district except that notice of such election shall be published in one or …

(1) As provided in this section, a public hospital district may withdraw areas from its boundaries, or reannex areas into the public hospital district that previously had been withdrawn from the public hospital district under this section.(2) The withdrawal of an area shall be au…

Any public hospital district may contract or join with any other public hospital district, publicly owned hospital, nonprofit hospital, legal entity, or individual to acquire, own, operate, manage, or provide any hospital or other health care facilities or hospital services or ot…

Any public hospital district may execute an executory conditional sales contract with any other municipal corporation, the state, or any of its political subdivisions, the government of the United States, or any private party for the purchase of any real or personal property, or …

(1) The board of commissioners of any public hospital district may sell and convey at public or private sale real property of the district if the board determines by resolution that the property is no longer required for public hospital district purposes or determines by resoluti…

The board of commissioners of any public hospital district may lease or rent out real property of the district which the board has determined by resolution presently is not required for public hospital district purposes in such manner and upon such terms and conditions as the boa…

(1) When evaluating a potential acquisition, the commissioners shall determine their compliance with the following requirements:(a) That the acquisition is authorized under chapter 70.44 RCW and other laws governing public hospital districts;(b) That the procedures used in the de…

The board of commissioners of any public hospital district may sell or otherwise dispose of surplus personal property of the district which the board has determined by resolution is no longer required for public hospital district purposes in such manner and upon such terms and co…

An existing public hospital district upon resolution of its board of commissioners may be divided into two new public hospital districts, in the manner provided in RCW 70.44.350 through 70.44.380, subject to the approval of the plan therefor by the superior court in the county wh…

The plan of division authorized by RCW 70.44.350 shall include: Proposed names for the new districts; a description of the boundaries of the new districts, which boundaries shall follow insofar as reasonably possible the then-existing precinct boundaries and include all of the te…

After adoption of a resolution approving the plan of division by the board of commissioners of an existing district pursuant to RCW 70.44.350 through 70.44.380, the district shall petition the superior court in the county where such district is located requesting court approval o…

Following the entry of the court order pursuant to RCW 70.44.370, the county officer authorized to call and conduct elections in the county in which the existing district is located shall call a special election as provided by the resolution of the board of commissioners of such …

Territory within a public hospital district may be withdrawn therefrom in the same manner provided by law for withdrawal of territory from water-sewer districts, as provided by chapter 57.28 RCW. For purposes of conforming with such procedure, the public hospital district shall b…

In addition to other powers granted to public hospital districts by chapter 39.34 RCW, rural public hospital districts may enter into cooperative agreements and contracts with other rural public hospital districts in order to provide for the health care needs of the people served…

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definition in this section applies throughout RCW 70.44.450."Rural public hospital district" means a public hospital district authorized under chapter 70.44 RCW whose geographic boundaries do not include a city with a population …

This chapter does not apply to transfers of property under *sections 1 and 2 of this act.[ 2006 c 35 s 9.]Notes:*Reviser's note: The reference to "sections 1 and 2 of this act" appears to be erroneous. Reference to "sections 2 and 3 of this act" codified as RCW 43.99C.070 and 43.…