Source: http://www.wvlegislature.gov/wvcode/Code.cfm?chap=16&art=2
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 05:22:23+00:00

Document:
§16-2-3. Authority to create, establish and maintain county boards of health; service area.
§16-2-4. Authority to create, establish and maintain municipal boards of health; service area.
§16-2-5. Authority to create, establish and maintain combined local boards of health; service area.
§16-2-6. Appointment to and composition of municipal boards of health; qualifications; number of appointees.
§16-2-7. Appointment to and composition of county boards of health; qualifications; number of appointees.
§16-2-8. Appointment to and composition of combined local boards of health; qualifications; number of appointees.
§16-2-9. Local board of health; terms of appointment; reappointment; oath of office; vacancies; removal; compensation; expenses.
§16-2-10. Local board of health; meetings; attendance; bylaws; quorum; chairperson selection, powers and duties.
§16-2-11. Local board of health; powers and duties.
§16-2-12. Local health officer; term of appointment; qualifications; reappointment; compensation; and removal.
§16-2-13. Local health officer; powers and duties.
§16-2-14. Financial responsibilities of appointing authorities for local boards of health; levies; appropriation of county or municipal general funds for public health purposes; state funding.
§16-2-15. Obstructing local health officers and others in the enforcement of public health laws; other violations; penalties.
§16-2-16. Food handler examinations and cards.
Local boards of health, created, established and operated pursuant to the provisions of this article, are responsible for directing, supervising and carrying out matters relating to the public health of their respective counties or municipalities. This article provides that local boards of health may be organized as boards of health serving a single municipality, a single county or a combination of any two or more counties or any county or counties and one or more municipalities within or partially within the county or counties. This article establishes uniform provisions applicable to all local boards of health, whatever organizational form is elected, to ensure the consistent performance of duties relating to basic public health services and other health services and the enforcement of the laws of this state pertaining to public health.
(u) "Service area" means the territorial jurisdiction of the local board of health.
A county commission shall create, establish and maintain a county board of health if no other local board of health organized under this article is established and responsible for public health in the service area. The county board of health shall be organized pursuant to and with the powers and duties prescribed by this article. The service area of any county board of health is the county territorial limits and includes every municipality within the county that does not have a municipal board of health maintaining a separate full-time municipal health department under the supervision of a municipal local health officer or that is not a member of a combined local board of health.
The governing body of a municipality may create, establish and maintain a municipal board of health organized pursuant to and with the powers and duties prescribed by this article. The territorial jurisdiction of any municipal board of health is an area including the municipality and all points within a distance of one mile from the limits of the municipality.
Any two or more counties or any county or counties and one or more municipalities within or partially within the county or counties may combine to create, establish and maintain a combined local board of health organized pursuant to and with the powers and duties prescribed by this article. The plan of combination must be approved by the commissioner. The service area of any combined local board of health is the combined territorial limits of the participating municipality or municipalities and county or counties: Provided, That if all or a portion of a participating municipality is located in a nonparticipating county, the service area of the combined local board of health is limited to the territorial limits of the municipality and does not extend to or include any area of the nonparticipating county outside of the municipal limits: Provided, however, That the service area of a combined local board does not extend to or include any area within the service area of a municipal board of health maintaining a separate full-time municipal health department under the supervision of a municipal local health officer.
A municipal board of health is composed of five members selected and appointed by vote of the governing body of the municipality. Each member appointed to a municipal board of health shall be a resident of the municipality. No more than two members who reside in the same municipal ward may be appointed and no more than two members may be appointed who are personally licensed or certified in, engaged in, or actively participating in the same business, profession or occupation. No more than three members of a municipal board of health may belong to the same political party.
A county board of health is composed of five members selected and appointed by vote of the county commission. Each member appointed to the county board of health shall be a resident of the county. No more than two members who reside in the same magisterial district may be appointed and no more than two members may be appointed who are personally licensed or certified in, engaged in, or actively participating in the same business, profession or occupation. No more than three members of a county board of health may belong to the same political party.
A combined local board of health is composed of at least five members. The number of combined local board of health members to be selected by each participating county or municipality shall be established by agreement of the participating counties or municipalities. No more than one half of the members of a combined local board of health may be personally licensed or certified in, engaged in, or actively participating in the same business, profession or occupation. The number of members of a combined local board of health belonging to the same political party may not exceed by more than one the number of members belonging to another political party. No member may be selected and appointed by and represent more than one participating county or municipality.
The county commission of each participating county may select and appoint by vote no fewer than one and no more than three persons to serve as the representatives of the county on the combined local board of health. Each member appointed as a county representative to the combined local board of health shall be a resident of the participating county. No more than two persons residing in the same magisterial district may be appointed by a participating county as members and no more than two members may be appointed by a participating county who are personally licensed or certified in, engaged in, or actively participating in the same business, profession or occupation.
The governing body of each participating municipality may select and appoint by vote no fewer than one and no more than three persons to serve as the representatives of the municipality on the combined local board of health. Each member appointed as a municipality's representative to the combined local board of health shall be a resident of the municipality. No more than two members who reside in the same municipal ward may be appointed and no more than two members may be appointed who are personally licensed or certified in, engaged in, or actively participating in the same business, profession or occupation.
Upon the formation of a combined local board of health and during the duration of its existence, there may be no separate county board of health or municipal board of health in any county or any municipality participating in the combined local board of health.
(a) The term of office for members selected and appointed to a local board of health pursuant to the provisions of this article is five years. Members may serve until their duly qualified successors are selected and appointed by vote of the original appointing authority. Members may be reappointed for additional terms of five years. Board members' oaths of office shall be duly recorded before entering into or discharging any duties of the office.
(b) Any vacancy on any local board of health shall be filled by appointment of the original appointing authority. This appointment is for the unexpired term.
(c) A local board of health may remove any of its members pursuant to the provisions of its lawfully adopted bylaws and shall remove any of its members for official misconduct, incompetence, neglect of duty, gross immorality or the revocation of any state professional license or certification. A local board of health, or any of its members may be removed by the state health officer for failure or refusal to comply with duties as set forth by statute or rule. Upon removal, a successor or successors to the member or members removed shall immediately be appointed by the original appointing body pursuant to the provisions of this article.
(d) Each member of a local board of health may receive compensation as determined by the local board for attending meetings of and other activities for the board as required by law: Provided, That this compensation may not exceed $100 per day. Each member of a local board may be reimbursed for all reasonable and necessary travel and other expenses actually incurred by the member in the performance of duties as a member of the local board.
(a) Each local board of health may meet as often as necessary to orderly and efficiently execute its duties and exercise its powers: Provided, That in a service area having a population of less than thirty thousand residents, the board shall meet no fewer than four times per year and in a service area having a population of more than thirty thousand residents, the board shall meet no fewer than six times per year. Members of a local board of health shall attend board meetings in compliance with attendance policies established by its bylaws or rules.
(b) Each local board of health is authorized to and shall adopt and may amend bylaws or rules governing the time and place of its regular meetings, procedures and method of conducting its meetings including quorum, meeting attendance policies, requirements for written minutes and board actions as public records, duties and election process for officers, process for filling board vacancies, number, duties, tenure and eligibility of members, and any other matters affecting how the board is organized to perform its duties. A quorum of the board for transacting business is a simple majority of the constituent membership of the board. (c) Each local board of health, pursuant to its bylaws, shall elect from its members a chairperson. The chairperson shall serve for a term of one year and may be reelected for additional terms. The chairperson may, on behalf of the board, sign documents, execute contracts and otherwise act for and in the name of the board in all matters within its lawful powers and as duly authorized by a majority of the board members.
(10) Enforce the public health laws of this state and any other laws of this state applicable to the local board.
(6) Assess, charge and collect fees for services provided by the local health department: Provided, That fees for services shall be submitted to and approved by the commissioner: Provided, however, That a local health department may bill health care service fees to a payor which includes, but is not limited to, Medicaid, a Medicaid Managed Care Organization and the Public Employees Insurance Agency for medical services provided: Provided further, that health care service fees billed by a local health department are not subject to commissioner approval and may be at the payor’s maximum allowable rate.
(8) Retain and make available child safety car seats, collect rental and security deposit fees for the expenses of retaining and making available child safety car seats, and conduct public education activities concerning the use and preventing the misuse of child safety car seats: Provided, That this subsection is not intended to conflict with the provisions of section forty-six, article fifteen, chapter seventeen-c of this code: Provided, however, That any local board of health offering a child safety car seat program or employee or agent of a local board of health is immune from civil or criminal liability in any action relating to the improper use, malfunction or inadequate maintenance of the child safety car seat and in any action relating to the improper placement, maintenance or securing of a child in a child safety car seat.
(c) The local boards of health are charged with protecting the health and safety, as well as promoting the interests of the citizens of West Virginia. All state funds appropriated by the Legislature for the benefit of local boards of health shall be used for provision of basic public health services.
A local board of health shall appoint a full-time or part-time local health officer with approval by the commissioner. The local health officer shall be a physician currently licensed in this state and knowledgeable in the science of public health. A local health officer serves at the will and pleasure of the local board for a term of one year and is eligible for reappointment at compensation determined by the local board of health.
A local health officer may be removed from office by the commissioner if the local health officer fails or refuses to carry out the lawful orders or rules of the secretary in the event the commissioner determines a public health emergency exists or if the local health officer fails or refuses to enforce public health laws and rules necessary to prevent and control the spread of communicable or reportable diseases dangerous to the public health. Upon removal, a successor local health officer shall immediately be appointed by the board pursuant to the provisions of this article.
(a) A local health officer serves as the executive officer of the local board and under its supervision, a local health officer shall administer the provisions of this article, all other laws of this state and the rules and orders of the secretary of the department relating to public health and applicable to the local board's service area, any county commission orders and municipal ordinances of the board's service area relating to public health and the rules and orders of the local board.
(5) To determine when sufficient corrections have been made to warrant removal of any restrictions or limitations placed on an individual or entity for public health purposes by an employee of the local board of health.
The appointing authorities for local boards of health shall provide financial support for the operation of the local health department. The county commission of any county or the governing body of any municipality in which a local board of health is established pursuant to the provisions of this article, or the county commission of any county or the governing body of any municipality who is a participating member of a combined local board of health may levy a county or municipal tax to provide funds for the local board of health: Provided, That the tax may not exceed 3¢ on each $100 of assessed valuation of the taxable property in the levying county or municipality, according to the latest assessment.
The county commission of any county or the governing body of any municipality in which a local board of health is established pursuant to the provisions of this article, or the county commission of any county or the governing body of any municipality who is a participating member of a combined local board of health may appropriate and spend money from the county or municipal general funds for public health purposes and to pay the expenses of the operation of the local board of health services and facilities.
The commissioner and the secretary may pay over and contribute to any board of health created and maintained pursuant to the provisions of this article the sum or sums of money that may be available from funds included in appropriations made for the Department of Health and Human Resources. The commissioner may withhold all or part of any funds until a local board of health submits an acceptable plan to correct deficiencies in the local board's program plan.
Any person who willfully obstructs any local health officer, public health nurse, sanitarian or any other person charged with the enforcement of any public health law, in the performance of that person's legal duties in enforcing the law, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of not less than $50 and not more than $500.
Any person who willfully violates any of the provisions of this article, or any of the rules or orders adopted or issued pursuant to the provisions, for which a penalty is not otherwise provided, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of not less than $200 and not more than $1,000.
Magistrates have concurrent jurisdiction with the circuit courts of this state for violations of provisions of this article.
A food handler permit or card issued pursuant to the procedures put in place by a local county health department shall be valid for at least one year but not longer than three years. The permit or card shall be valid in all counties of this state, if the applicant pays an additional fee not to exceed $10. If required, a permit or card shall be obtained within thirty days of a person being hired in a restaurant or other applicable food establishment. The Bureau for Public Health shall develop minimum guidelines for training programs for individuals seeking a food handler permit or card that may be adopted by local county health departments. In lieu of state guidelines a local health department may use training courses developed by the American National Standards Institute or other nationally recognized entities for food safety training.

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