§ 31-3-4 - Powers - Georgia Statutes

O.C.G.A. 31-3-4 (2010)
31-3-4. Powers

(a) The county board of health is empowered to:

(1) Establish and adopt bylaws for its own governance. Meetings shall be held no less frequently than quarterly;

(2) Exercise responsibility and authority in all matters within the county pertaining to health unless the responsibility for enforcement of such is by law that of another agency;

(3) Take such steps as may be necessary to prevent and suppress disease and conditions deleterious to health and to determine compliance with health laws and rules, regulations, and standards adopted thereunder;

(4) Adopt and enforce rules and regulations appropriate to its functions and powers, provided such rules and regulations are not in conflict with the rules and regulations of the department. Such rules and regulations must be reasonably adapted to the purposes intended and must be within the purview of the powers and duties imposed upon the county board of health by this chapter;

(5) Receive and administer all grants, gifts, moneys, and donations for purposes pertaining to health pursuant to this chapter;

(6) Make contracts and establish fees for the provision of public health services provided by county boards of health, including but not limited to environmental health services, which fees may be charged to persons or to establishments and premises within the county for inspection of such establishments, premises, structures and appurtenances thereto, or for other county board of health services. All such fees may be used to defray costs of providing such local services and shall supplement but not replace state or federal funding. No person shall be denied services on the basis of that person's inability to pay. The scope of services, operating details, contracts, and fees approved by the county board of health shall also be approved by the district director of health. No fees for environmental health services may be charged unless the schedule of fees for such services has been approved by the county governing authority;

(7) Contract with the Department of Community Health or other agencies for assistance in the performance of its functions and the exercise of its powers and for supplying services which are within its purview to perform, provided that such contracts and amendments thereto shall have first been approved by the department. In entering into any contracts to perform its functions and to exercise its powers, and for supplying services which are within its purview to perform, any county board of health or any health district created under the authority of Code Section 31-3-15 shall be considered an agency and such agency shall have the authority to contract with any other county board of health; combination of county boards of health; any other health district; public or private hospitals; hospital authorities; medical schools; training and educational institutions; departments and agencies of the state; county or municipal governments; persons, partnerships, corporations, and associations, public or private; the United States government or the government of any other state; or any other legal entity; and

(8) The county board of health in each county of this state having a population of 400,000 or more according to the United States decennial census of 1990 or any future such census is authorized to develop and implement activities for the prevention of injuries and incorporate injury prevention measures in rules and regulations which are within the purview of the county board of health to promulgate which shall be effective when adopted by an ordinance of the county governing authority.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions contained in subsection (a) of this Code section and Code Section 31-3-5, nothing contained in this Code section or Code Section 31-3-5 shall be construed to empower a county board of health to adopt any rules or regulations or provisions to enforce any rules or regulations pertaining to matters provided for or otherwise regulated pursuant to the provisions of Part 1 of Article 2 of Chapter 8 of Title 12, the "Georgia Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Act," as now or hereafter amended, or the rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to such part.