Degree requirements for certain local health officers; admissions authorized by counties to mental health institutes; and eliminating references to defunct regional long-term care advisory committees (suggested as remedial legislation by the Department of Health Services)

What it does

Summary by the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

This bill modifies the degree requirements for a local health officer of a Level III local health department. Local health departments are operated by towns, villages, cities, and counties for certain public health objectives. A Level III local health department must perform all of the duties required of Level I and II local health departments as well as certain additional duties, including public health data collection and administration of an environmental health program. Local health officers administer local health departments; enforce public health statutes, rules, and regulations; administer funds for public health programs; and appoint personnel.

Under current law, in order to be a local health officer of a Level III local health department, an individual must meet one of several combinations of educational, licensure, and experiential requirements. Among these combinations are 1) a master's degree in public health, public administration, health administration, or a similar field plus three years of experience or 2) a master's degree in public health, public administration, health administration, or a similar field plus a license to practice medicine and surgery. The bill modifies these requirements so that an individual is eligible to be a local health officer of a Level III local health department if that individual has a master's degree or higher in public health, public administration, health administration, or a similar field plus three years of experience or a license to practice medicine and surgery.

Who's behind it

Law Revision Committee is its author⁠.