Title 70 — Title 70 PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY

For the purposes of chapters 70.05 and 70.46 RCW and unless the context thereof clearly indicates to the contrary:(1) "Local health departments" means the county or district which provides public health services to persons within the area.(2) "Local health officer" means the lega…

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, for counties without a home rule charter, the board of county commissioners and the members selected under (a) and (e) of this subsection, shall constitute the local board of health, unless the county is part of a health d…

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, for home rule charter counties, the county legislative authority shall establish a local board of health and may prescribe the membership and selection process for the board. The membership of the local board of health mus…

The local board of health shall elect a chair and may appoint an administrative officer. A local health officer shall be appointed pursuant to RCW 70.05.050. Vacancies on the local board of health shall be filled by appointment within thirty days and made in the same manner as wa…

The administrative officer shall act as executive secretary and administrative officer for the local board of health, and shall be responsible for administering the operations of the board including such other administrative duties required by the local health board, except for d…

The local health officer shall be an experienced physician licensed to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery in this state and who is qualified or provisionally qualified in accordance with the standards prescribed in RCW 70.05.051 through 70.05.055 to…

The following persons holding licenses as required by RCW 70.05.050 shall be deemed qualified to hold the position of local health officer:(1) Persons holding the degree of master of public health or its equivalent;(2) Persons not meeting the requirements of subsection (1) of thi…

A person holding a license required by RCW 70.05.050 but not meeting any of the requirements for qualification prescribed by RCW 70.05.051 may be appointed by the board or official responsible for appointing the local health officer under RCW 70.05.050 as a provisionally qualifie…

The secretary of health shall provide an in-service public health orientation program for the benefit of provisionally qualified local health officers.Such program shall consist of—(1) A three months course in public health training conducted by the secretary either in the state …

Each year, on a date which shall be as near as possible to the anniversary date of appointment as provisional local health officer, the secretary of health or his or her designee shall personally visit such provisional officer's office for a personal review and discussion of the …

Each local board of health shall have supervision over all matters pertaining to the preservation of the life and health of the people within its jurisdiction and shall:(1) Enforce through the local health officer or the administrative officer appointed under RCW 70.05.040, if an…

The local health officer, acting under the direction of the local board of health or under direction of the administrative officer appointed under RCW 70.05.040 or 70.05.035, if any, shall:(1) Enforce the public health statutes of the state, rules of the state board of health and…

The local health officer may grant a waiver from specific requirements adopted by the state board of health for on-site sewage systems if:(1) The on-site sewage system for which a waiver is requested is for sewage flows under three thousand five hundred gallons per day;(2) The wa…

(1) The local health officer must respond to the applicant for an on-site sewage system permit within thirty days after receiving a fully completed application. The local health officer must respond that the application is either approved, denied, or pending.(2) If the local heal…

(1) The department of health, in consultation and cooperation with local environmental health officers, shall develop a one-day course to train local environmental health officers, health officers, and environmental health specialists and technicians to address the application of…

If the local board of health or other official responsible for appointing a local health officer under RCW 70.05.050 refuses or neglects to appoint a local health officer after a vacancy exists, the secretary of health may appoint a local health officer and fix the compensation. …

Whenever any physician shall attend any person sick with any dangerous contagious or infectious disease, or with any diseases required by the state board of health to be reported, he or she shall, within twenty-four hours, give notice thereof to the local health officer within wh…

In case of the question arising as to whether or not any person is affected or is sick with a dangerous, contagious or infectious disease, the opinion of the local health officer shall prevail until the state department of health can be notified, and then the opinion of the execu…

It shall be the duty of the local board of health, health authorities or officials, and of physicians in localities where there are no local health authorities or officials, to report to the state board of health, promptly upon discovery thereof, the existence of any one of the f…

(1) Any local health officer or administrative officer appointed under RCW 70.05.040, if any, who shall refuse or neglect to obey or enforce the provisions of chapters 70.05, 70.24, and 70.46 RCW or the rules, regulations or orders of the state board of health or who shall refuse…

All expenses incurred by the state, health district, or county in carrying out the provisions of chapters 70.05 and 70.46 RCW or any other public health law, or the rules of the department of health enacted under such laws, shall be paid by the county and such expenses shall cons…

In addition to powers already granted them, any county, district, or local health department may contract for either the sale or purchase of any or all health services from any local health department.[ 2011 c 27 s 4; 1993 c 492 s 243; 1967 ex.s. c 51 s 22.]Notes:Findings—Intent—…

A local board of health that adopts a moratorium affecting water hookups, sewer hookups, or septic systems without holding a public hearing on the proposed moratorium, shall hold a public hearing on the adopted moratorium within at least sixty days of its adoption. If the board d…

(1)(a) The legislature finds that the mortality rate in Washington state among infants and children less than 19 years of age is unacceptably high, and that such mortality may be preventable. The legislature further finds that, through the performance of child fatality reviews, p…

A person rendering emergency care or transportation, commonly known as a "Good Samaritan," as described in RCW 4.24.300 and 4.24.310, may request and receive appropriate infectious disease testing free of charge from the local health department of the county of her or his residen…

(1) A local board of health in the twelve counties bordering Puget Sound implementing an on-site sewage program management plan may:(a) Impose and collect reasonable rates or charges in an amount sufficient to pay for the actual costs of administration and operation of the on-sit…

Nothing in this chapter prohibits a county from relying on self-inspection of on-site sewage systems consistent with RCW 36.70A.690 or eliminates the requirement that counties protect water quality consistent with RCW 36.70A.070 (1) and (5).[ 2017 c 105 s 3.]

(1) The legislature finds that the mortality rate in Washington state due to overdose, withdrawal related to substance abuse such as opiates, benzodiazepines, and alcohol, and suicide is unacceptably high and that such mortality may be preventable. The legislature further finds t…