registered sanitarians; qualifications

More paths to sanitarian registration

The law creates a five-member sanitarians council to set work standards, classify sanitarians, and oversee registration exams. Applicants can qualify with three years as a sanitarian aide in a qualifying public health agency or environmental health job in private industry, or three years of full-time military duty in environmental health. Another path requires 30 semester hours in relevant subjects, including 22 in natural sciences, approved by the council. The council can register people from other jurisdictions without an exam when they meet an Arizona qualification path and their jurisdiction’s exam rules are substantially equivalent. State and local government employees must be registered to work as sanitarians, and only registered people can use the title “registered sanitarian” or “R.S.” Registration expires each December 31; renewal requires an application, 10 hours of continuing education from the prior 12 months, and a $10 fee. People registered for less than 12 months before renewal do not owe that year’s continuing education; the director can allow deferrals by rule. Anyone who has not renewed by February 15 cannot perform sanitarian duties. The application fee is $25, and the exam fee cannot exceed the cost of giving the exam.