CHAPTER 3. MULTIPLE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENTS
IC 16-20-3
Chapter 3. Multiple County Health Departments
IC 16-20-3-1
Establishment; conditions; notice
Sec. 1. (a) The county executives of at least two (2) adjacent
counties may establish and maintain a multiple county health
department if the following conditions are met:
(1) The state department approves the establishment of a
multiple county health department.
(2) The county executive of each of the involved counties
approves a separate ordinance establishing a multiple county
health department.
(b) Upon establishment of a multiple county health department,
the county executives shall notify the state department of the action.
As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.3.
IC 16-20-3-2
Board members; qualifications; appointment
Sec. 2. (a) There must be at least seven (7) members of a multiple
county board of health.
(b) The county executives establishing a multiple county health
department shall determine the following for the multiple county
board of health:
(1) The number of members.
(2) The qualifications of members.
(3) The number of appointments made by each county.
(c) The county executive of each county participating in a
multiple county board of health shall appoint at least one (1) licensed
physician.
(d) At least two-thirds (2/3) of the members appointed under this
section must have expertise in public health. The appointees may be
any of the following:
(1) A registered nurse licensed under IC 25-23.
(2) A registered pharmacist licensed under IC 25-26.
(3) A dentist licensed under IC 25-14.
(4) A hospital administrator.
(5) A social worker.
(6) An attorney with expertise in health matters.
(7) A school superintendent.
(8) A veterinarian licensed under IC 25-38.1.
(9) A professional engineer registered under IC 25-31.
(10) An environmental scientist.
As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.3. Amended by P.L.2-2008, SEC.40.
IC 16-20-3-3
Removal of board member; grounds
Sec. 3. A member of a multiple county board of health may be
removed by the appointing authority if the board member does any
of the following:
(1) Is absent from three (3) consecutive regular board meetings.
(2) Is absent from four (4) regular board meetings during a
calendar year.
(3) Fails to perform required statutory duties.
As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.3.
IC 16-20-3-4
Compensation of board members
Sec. 4. Members of a multiple county board of health may receive
compensation for the performance of their duties as determined by
the fiscal body of the county from which the members were
appointed.
As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.3.
IC 16-20-3-5
Term of office; staggered terms
Sec. 5. (a) Each member of a multiple county board of health shall
be appointed for a term of four (4) years.
(b) Unless otherwise required by law, after December 31, 1991,
board members serve staggered terms. The appointing authority shall
appoint members of a board in existence on December 31, 1991, and
the initial members of a board established after December 31, 1991,
as follows:
(1) One (1) member shall be appointed for one (1) year.
(2) Two (2) members shall be appointed for two (2) years.
(3) Two (2) members shall be appointed for three (3) years.
(4) Two (2) members shall be appointed for four (4) years.
As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.3.
IC 16-20-3-6
Vacancies; qualified replacements
Sec. 6. (a) Members continue to serve until their successors are
appointed. When a vacancy occurs, the original appointing authority
shall appoint a qualified person to serve the unexpired term.
(b) Whenever a vacancy occurs on a multiple county board of
health, the local board of health shall provide to the appointing
authority a list of five (5) individuals, at least three (3) of whom must
have professional experience in one (1) of the following areas:
(1) Medicine.
(2) Nursing.
(3) Hospital administration.
(4) School superintendent.
(5) Pharmacology.
(6) Dentistry.
(7) Veterinary medicine.
(8) Social work.
(9) Legal profession.
(10) Engineering.
(11) Environmental science.
(c) The list must include at least one (1) licensed physician. The
appointing authority may select an individual from the list when
filling a vacancy.
As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.3.
IC 16-20-3-7
Election of chairman
Sec. 7. At the first meeting of a multiple county board of health
each year, the members shall elect a chairman.
As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.3.
IC 16-20-3-8
Meetings; call; quorum
Sec. 8. (a) Meetings may be called by any of the following:
(1) The chairman.
(2) Four (4) members of the multiple county board of health.
(3) The local health officer.
(b) A majority of the members constitutes a quorum for the
transaction of business.
As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.3.
IC 16-20-3-9
Health officer; appointment; term; qualifications; certification;
reappointment; duties
Sec. 9. (a) A multiple county board of health shall appoint a
health officer to serve for a term of four (4) years. The health officer
must be a licensed physician.
(b) The appointment of the health officer shall be certified by the
county executive of each participating county and sent to the state
department for the state department's records.
(c) The health officer is eligible for reappointment.
(d) The health officer is the executive officer of the multiple
county health department and shall serve as secretary of the multiple
county board of health.
As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.3.
IC 16-20-3-10
Annual levy for maintenance of department; county health fund;
appropriations
Sec. 10. (a) The fiscal body of each county that has become a part
of a multiple county health department by ordinance of the county
executive shall assess a levy annually on the assessed valuation of
taxable property for maintenance of the multiple county health
department.
(b) The taxes shall be paid into the county treasury and placed in
a special fund to be known as the county health fund. The fund may
be used only for the purpose of this title and may be drawn upon by
the proper officers of the county upon the properly authenticated
vouchers of the multiple county health department.
(c) Each county fiscal body shall appropriate from the county
health fund money necessary to pay the fiscal body's apportioned
share to maintain a multiple county health department in the
proportion that the population of the county bears to the total
population of all counties in the multiple county health department.
As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.3.