Transferring the powers and duties of local boards of health and local health departments to county boards of health and district boards of health, and including applicability and effective date provisions

This bill transfers duties from local boards of health and local health departments to county boards of health (county boards) and district boards of health (district boards). DIVISION I —— HEALTH CARE DISTRICTS. The bill eliminates local boards of health and local health departments. Instead, each county must either create its own county board or join with any number of geographically contiguous counties, with approval from the department of health and human services (HHS), to form a district overseen by a district board. The bill requires cities to perform all public health functions through a county board or a district board (board of health). _____ The bill details the composition of board of health members, the process by which boards of health make their annual budgets, how counties will create funding plans to detail how a county board will be funded, how a city’s public health functions will be divided if the city is within the jurisdiction of multiple boards of health, and how a board of health must get approval from cities and member counties for approval of the board of health’s proposed budget. The bill requires a county board to enter into an agreement with each county hospital located in the county board’s county to provide for the sharing of facilities, health care services, and administrative resources. A county board of health may apply with HHS for a waiver of this requirement by sending HHS evidence of an alternative means of providing health services as detailed in the bill. A county board that applies for such a waiver must submit a letter explaining the county board’s decision to apply for the waiver to each city council of a city that is located in the county board’s county. The bill details the process by which counties may join to form a district to oversee public health in the counties; how powers, duties, and property are transferred from county boards to district boards; how county board property will remain available for district board use if not transferred to the district board; how counties may withdraw from a district; and how counties may apply to join an existing district. The bill requires a district board to give employment preference to individuals who were employed by one of the counties represented by the district board at the time of the district board’s formation. The bill shall not be construed to prohibit a county from creating agreements not contemplated in the bill to provide public health services in a manner not prohibited by law. The bill provides that only a board of health, school board, or area education board (board) may employ a public health nurse.115 (dissolution of county boards). This division of the bill takes effect July 1, 2027. DIVISION II —— TRANSITION PROVISIONS. The bill provides definitions used in the division, including defining “transition period” as the period beginning on the date of enactment of the division to June 30, 2027. The bill details the process by which city boards of health (city boards) will transfer the city boards’ property, public health responsibilities, and contractual responsibilities to one or more county boards or district boards during the transition period. The bill prohibits city boards from extending or creating new contracts if the term would end, or deliverables under the contract would be provided, beyond June 30, 2027. Each city board is dissolved at the end of the transition period. This division of the bill is effective upon enactment. DIVISION III —— HEALTH CARE DISTRICTS CONFORMING CHANGES.305.100 (lead poisoning prevention program —— definitions). This division of the bill takes effect July 1, 2027.