H. B. 2576
(By Delegates Kuhn, Tucker, Hatfield, Perdue,
Prunty, Angotti and Overington)
[Introduced February 28, 2001; referred to the
Committee on Government Organization.]
A BILL to amend and reenact section five, article one, chapter
sixteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine
hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to the qualifications
of the state health officer.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section five, article one, chapter sixteen of the code of
West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be
amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 1. STATE PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM.
§16-1-5. State health officer; appointment; qualifications; term.
The commissioner of the bureau for public health is the state
health officer and shall be appointed by the secretary. The
commissioner shall be a physician licensed under the laws of this state to practice medicine, an osteopathic physician licensed in
this state, or a person holding a doctorate degree in public health
administration. The commissioner shall have not less than four
years' experience in health services administration or a related
field. The commissioner serves at the will and pleasure of the
secretary and shall not be actively engaged or employed in any
other business, vocation or employment, serving full time in the
duties of the office as prescribed by this article.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to permit osteopathic
physicians to serve as state health officer.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.
This bill was recommended for passage during the 2001 regular
session by the Joint Standing Committee on Government Organization.