Title HS, Health and Safety Code

Sec. 121.004. LOCAL HEALTH UNITS. A local health unit is a division of municipal or county government that provides public health services but does not provide each service listed under Section 121.006(d) or required of a public health district under Section 121.043(a). Acts 1989…

Sec. 121.005. STATE AND LOCAL AFFILIATION; CONTRACTS. (a) A local health unit, local health department, or public health district may become affiliated with the department to facilitate the exchange of information and the coordination of public health services. (b) To be affiliat…

Sec. 121.006. PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES FEES; STATE SUPPORT. (a) The governing body of a municipality, the commissioners court of a county, or the administrative board of a public health district may adopt ordinances or rules to charge fees for public health services. (b) A municipa…

Sec. 121.0065. GRANTS FOR ESSENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES. (a) Subject to the availability of funds, the department shall administer a program under which appropriated money may be granted to counties, municipalities, public health districts, and other political subdivisions for…

Sec. 121.0066. ESSENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES PROVIDED BY DEPARTMENT. (a) Subject to the availability of funds, the department may provide essential public health services for a population for which a municipality, county, public health district, or other political subdivision …

Sec. 121.007. PUBLIC HEALTH REGIONS. (a) The department may designate geographic areas of the state as public health regions to provide public health services. (b) The department shall appoint a physician to serve as regional director for each public health region. The regional d…

Sec. 121.008. ANNUAL CONFERENCE. (a) The department shall hold an annual conference for health authorities and for directors of local health departments and public health districts. The commissioner or the commissioner's designee shall preside over the conference. (b) A county or…

Sec. 121.021. HEALTH AUTHORITY. A health authority is a physician appointed under the provisions of this chapter to administer state and local laws relating to public health within the appointing body's jurisdiction. Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 678, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989. Amen…

Sec. 121.022. QUALIFICATIONS. (a) A health authority must be: (1) a competent physician with a reputable professional standing who is legally qualified to practice medicine in this state; and (2) a resident of this state. (b) To be qualified to serve as a health authority, the ap…

Sec. 121.023. TERM OF OFFICE. A health authority serves for a term of two years and may be appointed to successive terms. Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 678, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989.

Sec. 121.024. DUTIES. (a) A health authority is a state officer when performing duties prescribed by state law. (b) A health authority shall perform each duty that is: (1) necessary to implement and enforce a law to protect the public health; or (2) prescribed by the department. …

Sec. 121.0245. DUTIES OF PART-TIME HEALTH AUTHORITY. (a) If a physician appointed to serve as health authority for a county serves in that office part-time, the physician may: (1) coordinate with the director of the local health department for the county in the performance of the…

Sec. 121.025. REMOVAL FROM OFFICE. A health authority may be removed from office for cause under the personnel procedures applicable to the heads of departments of the local government that the health authority serves. Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 678, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989.

Sec. 121.026. EXPIRATION AND EXTENSION OF CERTAIN PUBLIC HEALTH ORDERS ISSUED BY HEALTH AUTHORITY. (a) This section applies only to a public health order imposed on more than one individual, animal, place, or object. (b) A public health order issued by a health authority under th…

Sec. 121.028. APPOINTMENT OF HEALTH AUTHORITY. (a) The governing body of a municipality or the commissioners court of a county that has not established a local health department or a public health district may appoint a physician as health authority to administer state and local …

Sec. 121.029. DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY. (a) A health authority, unless otherwise restricted by law, may delegate a power or duty imposed on the health authority by the department, or by this or any other law, to a properly qualified physician to act while the health authority is a…

Sec. 121.031. ESTABLISHMENT. The governing body of a municipality or the commissioners court of a county may establish a local health department by majority vote. Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 678, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989.

Sec. 121.032. POWERS AND DUTIES. A local health department may perform all public health functions that the municipality or county that establishes the local health department may perform. Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 678, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989. Amended by Acts 1999, 76th Leg.,…

Sec. 121.033. DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR. (a) The governing body of a municipality or the commissioners court of a county shall appoint the director of the municipality's or county's local health department. (b) The director is the chief administrative officer of the local health depart…

Sec. 121.0331. DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY. (a) A health authority, unless otherwise restricted by law, may delegate a power or duty imposed on the health authority by the department, or by this or any other law, to a properly qualified physician who is employed by the municipality's…

Sec. 121.034. PUBLIC HEALTH BOARD. (a) The governing body of a municipality that establishes a local health department may provide for the creation of an administrative or advisory public health board and the appointment of representatives to that board. (b) The commissioners cou…

Sec. 121.041. ESTABLISHMENT. By a majority vote of each governing body, a public health district may be established by: (1) two or more counties; (2) two or more municipalities; (3) a county and one or more municipalities in the county; or (4) two or more counties and one or more…

Sec. 121.042. ADMISSION TO DISTRICT. (a) Any governmental entity, including a school district, may apply to become a member of a public health district. (b) The governing body of each member shall review the application. (c) The governmental entity may be admitted to membership o…

Sec. 121.043. POWERS AND DUTIES. (a) A public health district may perform any public health function that any of its members may perform unless otherwise restricted by law. (b) For purposes of Section 121.005, a public health district shall be identified by its program of public …

Sec. 121.044. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT. (a) The members of a public health district shall prepare a written cooperative agreement that sets out fully the terms of operation of the district. (b) The terms in a cooperative agreement must include: (1) organizational structure; (2) fina…

Sec. 121.045. DISTRICT DIRECTOR. (a) The members of a public health district shall appoint the director of the district. (b) The director is the chief administrative officer of the public health district, and if the director is a physician, the director is the health authority in…

Sec. 121.0451. DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY. (a) A health authority, unless otherwise restricted by law, may delegate a power or duty imposed on the health authority by the department, or by this or any other law, to a properly qualified physician who is employed by the public health …

Sec. 121.046. PUBLIC HEALTH BOARD. (a) The cooperative agreement of a public health district may provide for the creation of an advisory or administrative public health board. (b) An advisory public health board shall advise the members and director on matters of public health. (…

Sec. 121.047. FINANCES. The members of a public health district shall pay the costs necessary to operate the district, including costs for: (1) staff salaries; (2) supplies; (3) suitable offices; (4) health and clinic centers; (5) health services and facilities; and (6) maintenan…

Sec. 121.101. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "consortium" means the public health consortium established under this subchapter. Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1378, Sec. 6, eff. June 19, 1999.

Sec. 121.102. CONSORTIUM ESTABLISHED. Subject to availability of funds, the department shall establish a public health consortium composed of: (1) The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio; (2) The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center; (3) The Unive…

Sec. 121.103. GENERAL DUTIES. (a) Subject to the availability of funds, the department, in consultation with the consortium and local health units, local health departments, and public health districts, shall: (1) develop curricula to provide training to public health workers; (2…