Public Health Committee
Planning and Development Committee
AN ACT CONCERNING ESSENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES AND THE EUTHANIZATION OF ANIMALS IN A FACILITY SUBJECT TO REGULATION BY THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
SUMMARY: This act requires municipal health departments, as well as local health districts (1) with populations of 50,000 or more or (2) that serve three or more municipalities, to provide a basic health program as a prerequisite to receiving annual funding from the Department of Public Health (DPH). The program must be provided within available appropriations and include:
1. monitoring the community's health status to identify and solve problems;
2. investigating and diagnosing health problems and hazards in the community;
3. informing, educating, and empowering people in the community regarding health issues;
4. mobilizing community partnerships and action to identify and solve health problems for people in the community;
5. developing policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts;
6. enforcing laws and regulations to protect health and ensure safety;
7. connecting people to needed health care services when appropriate;
8. assuring a competent public health and personal care workforce;
9. evaluating the effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of personal and population-based health services; and
10. researching to find innovative solutions to health problems.
The act also exempts the euthanization of animals in facilities subject to regulation by the U. S. Department of Agriculture from the law requiring that the euthanization of dogs or cats be performed only by licensed veterinarians in a humane manner. Existing law already exempts animals in facilities subject to regulation by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2014
BACKGROUND
State Funding for Municipal Health Departments and Local Health Districts
By law, (1) municipalities with populations of 50,000 or more or (2) local health districts with populations of 50,000 or more, or that serve three or more municipalities, must have a health and budget plan approved by the public health commissioner and appropriate at least $1 per capita from the annual tax receipts for health services in order to receive annual funding from DPH. Municipal health departments must also employ a full-time health director. DPH contributes $1. 85 and $1. 18 per capita, respectively, to local health districts and municipalities that meet the criteria.
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