(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 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 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 levied and collected as provided in section 32-19-112.