SB 1168

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AN ACT

RELATING TO COUNTIES; AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF

A COUNTY TO FORM A SPECIAL HOSPITAL DISTRICT; PROVIDING

PROCEDURES FOR THE APPOINTMENT AND ELECTION OF BOARD OF

TRUSTEE MEMBERS; PROVIDING POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE BOARD OF

TRUSTEES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

Section 1. A new section of the Special Hospital

District Act is enacted to read:

"SPECIAL HOSPITAL DISTRICT--CREATION BY COUNTY

COMMISSION--BOARD OF TRUSTEE APPOINTMENT--ELECTION FOR

RETENTION OF TRUSTEE.--

A. A special hospital district may be created in a

single county for the purpose of constructing, acquiring,

operating or maintaining one or more public hospital

facilities for the benefit of the inhabitants of the county,

by vote of the majority of commissioners of that county.

B. If the majority of the county commissioners

creates a special hospital district pursuant to Subsection A

of this section, the county commission shall appoint a board

of trustees. One member of the board of trustees shall be

appointed from each county commission district of a county

with three or more districts, or three members shall be

appointed at large from a county with less than three county

SB 1168

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commission districts.

C. The initial term of an appointed member shall

be two years or until the next general election, whichever

occurs first. Thereafter, all members shall be elected for

five-year terms. In a district created pursuant to

Subsection A of this section, only qualified electors who

reside in the territory of the single-member district shall

vote on the candidates for the member from that single-member

district.

D. Vacancies on the board of trustees created by a

member elected in a single-member district shall be filled by

the board of county commissioners of the county in which the

single-member district is located, and vacancies created by a

member elected at large shall be filled by the remaining

members of the board of trustees for the remainder of the

unexpired term of the member creating the vacancy.

E. The board of trustees of a special hospital

district created pursuant to Subsection A of this section

shall have the powers and duties set forth in the Special

Hospital District Act.

F. Members of the board of trustees shall be

suspended or removed from office only as provided in Chapter

10, Article 4 NMSA 1978 or as provided in Section 4-48A-7 NMSA

1978."