Office of Women’s Health; duties; reporting

(a) There is created in the department the Office of Women’s Health. Attached to the office shall be an 11 member advisory council. The members of the advisory council shall be appointed by the Governor and shall be representative of major public and private agencies and organizations in the state and shall be experienced in or have demonstrated particular interest in women’s health issues. Each member shall be appointed for two years and until his or her successor is appointed. The members shall be eligible to succeed themselves. The council shall elect its chairperson from among the councilmembers for a term of two years. The Governor may name an honorary chairperson of the council. (b) The Office of Women’s Health shall serve in an advisory capacity to the Office of Health Strategy and Coordination. In particular, the office shall: (1) Raise awareness of women’s nonreproductive health issues; (2) Inform and engage in prevention and education activities relating to women’s nonreproductive health issues; (3) Serve as a clearing-house for women’s health information for purposes of planning and coordination; (4) Issue reports of the office’s activities and findings; and (5) Develop and distribute a state comprehensive plan to address women’s health issues. (c) The council shall meet upon the call of its chairperson, the board, or the commissioner. (d) The Office of Women’s Health, no later than October 1, 2019, and annually thereafter, shall submit to the Office of Health Strategy and Coordination a report of its findings and recommendations. History. — Code 1981, § 31-2A-5, enacted by Ga. L. 2011, p. 705, § 3-1/HB 214; Ga. L. 2019, p. 148, § 2-5/HB 186. The 2019 amendment, effective July 1, 2019, substituted ‘‘Office of Health Strategy and Coordination’’ for ‘‘Governor, the General Assembly, the board, the department, and all other state agencies in matters relating to women’s health’’ in the first sentence of subsection (b); and added subsection (d). Editor’s notes. — Ga. L. 2019, p. 148, 71 § 2-1/HB 186, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: ‘‘This part shall be 31-2A-6 known and may be cited as ‘The Health Act.’ ’’ 31-2A-6. Rules and regulations.