Brief(1)
H.B. 2832 amends one of the statutes under which county hospitals are created and operate. The amendments change the number of voters who must sign a petition to force an election on the question of changing the manner in which the county hospital board is selected and create an alternate method of changing the manner of selection. The alternate allows the county commission to adopt a resolution changing the selection procedure. The resolution would be subject to a protest petition signed by not less than 5 percent of the qualified electors of the county who voted for the office of Secretary of State in the last preceding election and would force an election on the proposed change in the manner of selecting the hospital board. New language added to subsection (e) would allow a majority of the members of an elected county hospital board to be elected at the same time. Other amendments require the county commission, when the number of members of the hospital board is changed by a resolution adopted by the commission, to set the expiration of the terms of the board members so that not all members of the board are selected at the same time. In so doing, the county commission may shorten or lengthen the term of an existing member for not to exceed one year. The amendments delete the requirement that terms be set so that a majority of the board is not selected at one time.
A new subsection is added to K.S.A. 19-4605 that concerns only those county hospital boards that are elected. The new subsection allows a county commission, by resolution, to change the terms of office of elected members of a county hospital board so the members are elected in even-numbered years. The terms of the existing members may be lengthened or shortened by not more than one year when making such a change. Provision is made for the submission of a protest petition to the county commission to force an election on the question of changing the terms of office of members of the hospital board so that all members of the board are elected in even-numbered years. Further amendments would require any vacancy on a county hospital board, whether elected or appointed, to be filled by the county commission.
Background
H.B. 2832 was introduced at the request of a member of the House of Representatives who also appeared as the sole conferee on the bill. The proponent explained the purpose of the amendments is to allow the election of members of the board of the Rawlins County Hospital to be held in conjunction with regularly held elections. The House Committee amendments were requested by the conferee. Although a minority of county hospital boards are elected, the amendments in H.B. 2832 apply to the over 40 county hospitals in the state since they apply to the selection and terms of county hospital board members, regardless of whether the board is appointed by the county commission or elected by the voters of the county. The Senate Committee received written testimony from others protesting the proposed changes that would result from enactment of H.B. 2832 and testimony proposing further changes, some of which are incorporated in the Senate Committee amendments.
The passage of this bill would have no fiscal impact on the state.
1. *Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at http://www.ink.org/public/legislative/fulltext-bill.html.