RELATING TO TAXATION; AMENDING PROVISIONS OF THE SPECIAL COUNTY HOSPITAL GROSS RECEIPTS TAX TO ALLOW IMPOSITION AND USE OF THE TAX FOR AMBULANCE SERVICE AND A RURAL HEALTH CLINIC; DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
Section 1. Section 7-20E-13 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1987, Chapter 45, Section 3, as amended) is amended to read:
"7-20E-13. SPECIAL COUNTY HOSPITAL GROSS RECEIPTS TAX--
AUTHORITY TO IMPOSE--ORDINANCE REQUIREMENTS.--
A. The majority of the members of the governing body may enact an ordinance imposing an excise tax on any person engaging in business in the county for the privilege of engaging in business. The rate of the tax shall be one-eighth of one percent of the gross receipts of the person engaging in business. The tax shall be imposed for a period of not more than five years from the effective date of the ordinance imposing the tax. Having once enacted an ordinance under this section, the governing body may enact subsequent ordinances for succeeding periods of not more than five years; provided that each such ordinance meets the requirements of the County Local Option Gross Receipts Taxes Act with respect to the tax imposed by this section.
B. The tax imposed by this section may be referred to as the "special county hospital gross receipts tax".
C. For the purposes of this section, "county" means:
(1) a county:
(a) having a population of more than ten thousand but less than ten thousand six hundred, according to the last federal decennial census or any subsequent decennial census, and having a net taxable value for rate-setting purposes for the 1986 property tax year or any subsequent year of more than eighty-two million dollars ($82,000,000) but less than eighty-two million three hundred thousand dollars ($82,300,000);
(b) that has imposed a rate of one dollar fifty cents ($1.50) to each one thousand dollars ($1,000) of net taxable value of property as defined in the Property Tax Code for property taxation purposes in the county and to each one thousand dollars ($1,000) of the assessed value of products severed and sold in the school district as determined under the Oil and Gas Ad Valorem Production Tax Act and the Oil and Gas Production Equipment Ad Valorem Tax Act or has made an appropriation of funds or has imposed another tax that produces an amount not less than the revenue that would be produced by applying a rate of one dollar fifty cents ($1.50) to each one thousand dollars ($1,000) of net taxable value of property as defined in the Property Tax Code for property taxation purposes in the school district and to each one thousand dollars ($1,000) of the assessed value of products severed and sold in the school district as determined under the Oil and Gas Ad Valorem Production Tax Act and the Oil and Gas Production Equipment Ad Valorem Tax Act. The proceeds of any tax imposed or appropriation made shall be dedicated for current operations and maintenance of a hospital owned and operated by the county or operated and maintained by another party pursuant to a lease with the county; and
(c) having qualified at any time under this definition shall continue to be qualified as a county and authorized to implement the provisions of this section; and
(2) a class B county having a population of more than seventeen thousand five hundred but less than nineteen thousand according to the 1990 federal decennial census and having a net taxable value for property tax rate-setting purposes of under three hundred million dollars ($300,000,000).
D. The governing body of a county described in Paragraph (1) of Subsection C of this section shall, at the time of enacting an ordinance imposing the rate of the tax authorized in Subsection A of this section, dedicate the revenue for current operations and maintenance of a hospital owned and operated by the county or operated and maintained by another party pursuant to a lease with the county, and the use of these proceeds shall be for the care and maintenance of sick and indigent persons and shall be an expenditure for a public purpose. In any election held, the ballot shall clearly state the purpose to which the revenue will be dedicated, and the revenue shall be used by the county for that purpose.
E. The governing body of a county described in Paragraph (2) of Subsection C of this section shall, at the time of enacting an ordinance imposing the rate of the tax authorized in Subsection A of this section, dedicate the revenue for county ambulance transport costs or for operation of a rural health clinic. In any election held, the ballot shall clearly state the purposes to which the revenue will be dedicated, and the revenue shall be used by the county for those purposes.
F. Any ordinance enacted under the provisions of Subsection A of this section shall include an effective date of either July 1 or January 1 in accordance with the provisions of the County Local Option Gross Receipts Taxes Act.
G. The ordinance shall not go into effect until after an election is held and a simple majority of the qualified electors of the county voting in the election votes in favor of imposing the special county hospital gross receipts tax. The governing body shall adopt a resolution calling for an election within seventy-five days of the date the ordinance is adopted on the question of imposing the tax. The question may be submitted to the qualified electors and voted upon as a separate question in a general election or in any special election called for that purpose by the governing body. A special election upon the question shall be called, held, conducted and canvassed in substantially the same manner as provided by law for general elections. If the question of imposing a special county hospital gross receipts tax fails, the governing body shall not again propose a special county hospital gross receipts tax for a period of one year after the election. A certified copy of any ordinance imposing a special county hospital gross receipts tax shall be mailed to the department within five days after the ordinance is adopted in any election called for that purpose.
H. A single election may be held on the question of imposing a special county hospital gross receipts tax as authorized in this section on the question of imposing a special county hospital gasoline tax as authorized in the Special County Hospital Gasoline Tax Act and on the question of imposing a mill levy pursuant to the Hospital Funding Act."
Section 2. Section 7-20E-14 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1987, Chapter 45, Section 8, as amended) is amended to read:
"7-20E-14. SPECIAL COUNTY HOSPITAL GROSS RECEIPTS TAX--USE OF PROCEEDS.--The funds provided through the special county hospital gross receipts tax shall be administered by the governing body of the county. In a county described in Paragraph (1) of Subsection C of Section 7-20E-13 NMSA 1978, the funds shall be disbursed by the county treasurer to a hospital within the county, subject to the approval by the governing body of a budget or plan for use of the funds submitted by that hospital's governing board."
Section 3. EMERGENCY.--It is necessary for the public peace, health and safety that this act take effect immediately.