(A) No bonds may be issued pursuant to the provisions of this article until the proposal of the county board to issue the bonds receives the approval of the authority. Whenever a county board proposes to issue bonds pursuant to the provisions of this article, it shall file its petition with the authority setting forth:

(1) a brief description of the hospital facilities proposed to be undertaken and the refinancing or refunding proposed;

(2) a statement setting forth the action taken by the Department of Health and Environmental Control in connection with the hospital facilities;

(3) a reasonable estimate of the cost of hospital facilities;

(4) a general summary of the terms and conditions of the proposed loan agreement; and

(5) such other information as the authority requires.

(B) Upon the filing of the petition the authority, as soon as practicable, shall conduct the review as it considers advisable, and if it finds that the proposal of the governing board is intended to promote the purposes of this article, it is authorized to approve the proposal. At any time following the approval, the county board may proceed with the issuance of the bonds in accordance with the proposal as approved by the authority. Notice of the approval of the proposal by the authority must be published at least once by the authority in a newspaper having general circulation in the county where the hospital facilities are or are to be located. The notice must set forth the action taken by the county board pursuant to Section 44-7-1480 and the action taken by the Department of Health and Environmental Control pursuant to Section 44-7-1490.

(C) Any interested party, within twenty days after the date of the publication of the notice, but not afterwards, may challenge the action so taken by the authority, the county board, or the Department of Health and Environmental Control, by action de novo in the court of common pleas in any county where the hospital facilities are to be located.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 32-798.18; 1973 (58) 654; 1994 Act No. 426, Section 2.