23 LC 33 9364
S. B. 293
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Senate Bill 293
By: Senators Watson of the 1st, Kirkpatrick of the 32nd, Walker III of the 20th, Hodges of
the 3rd, Strickland of the 17th and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 3 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to county
1
boards of health, so as to provide that operational policies and procedures of the Department2
of Public Health apply to local personnel; to authorize the department to establish health3
districts; to revise the manner of selection and qualifications of district health directors; to4
provide for a chief medical officer for a health district under certain circumstances; to5
provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.6
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:7
SECTION 1.8
Chapter 3 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to county boards9
of health, is amended by revising subsection (a) of Code Section 31-3-11, relating to10
appointments of director and staff and supervision, as follows:11
"(a) The district health director appointed pursuant to Code Section 31-3-15 for the health
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district in which the county is located shall serve as the chief executive officer for the13
county board of health shall appoint as its chief executive officer a director who shall be14
a physician licensed to practice medicine under Chapter 34 of Title 43 and who otherwise15
meets the requirements of the rules of the State Personnel Board. The Each such district16
health director, subject to the approval of the county board of health, shall designate aides17 23 LC 33 9364
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and assistants pursuant to the budget adopted by the county board of health in accordance
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with Code Section 31-3-14. All such aides and assistants shall be subject to and shall
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follow operational policies and procedures established by the department."20
SECTION 2.21
Said chapter is further amended by revising Code Section 31-3-15, relating to establishment22
of health districts, as follows:23
"31-3-15.24
The department is authorized, with the consent of the boards of health and the county25
authorities of the counties involved, to establish health districts composed of one or more26
counties. The county boards of health of the constituent counties shall, at the call of the27
commissioner, meet in joint session to approve the selection of a director appointed by the28
commissioner to serve such boards in common. A county board of health is authorized to29
appoint one of its members to represent the board at a joint meeting for this purpose. The30
director shall be a physician who is licensed to practice medicine under Chapter 34 of31
Title 43 and who otherwise The commissioner shall select a district health director for each32
health district, who meets the requirements of the rules of the State Personnel Board and33
the department. The A district health director shall have the same powers, duties, and34
responsibility as a director serving a single county board of health. If a selected district35
health director is not a physician licensed to practice medicine under Chapter 34 of36
Title 43, such district health director shall hire or appoint a chief medical officer who is37
licensed to practice medicine under Chapter 34 of Title 43. The chief medical officer shall38
be responsible for overseeing the clinical programs of the county boards of health within39
the health district. To further the purposes of this Code section, county boards of health40
may contract with each other for the provision of multicounty services and also exercise41
any additional powers as authorized by paragraph (7) of subsection (a) of Code Section42 23 LC 33 9364
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31-3-4; and in the performance of such contracts a county board of health may utilize its
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employees in other counties."44
SECTION 3.45
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.46