sanitary inspections;
public; semipublic buildings
SB 1062 relieves the Department of Health Services of its statutory requirement to inspect public and semipublic buildings for sanitary conditions.
In 1999, the Arizona Office of the Auditor General [OAG] conducted a performance audit of the Bureau of Epidemiology & Disease Control Services [Bureau], within the Department of Health Services [DHS]. Part of the 1999 audit, focused on the Office of Environmental Health [Office], a branch of the Bureau, identified over 40 activities or duties for which the Office is responsible. Though state law mandates most of the activities, the Office is unable to fulfill all of the duties.
In the audit, the OAG reports that the Office is unable to perform the statutorily required inspections of public and semi-public buildings for ensuring the maintenance of sanitary conditions due to staff’s limited time. The audit specifies that the Office should assess and prioritize its duties and determine which duties have the greatest impact on public health. The audit recommends the Office propose legislation that revises the mandated duties, including the elimination, delegation, or transference of duties to other agencies.
SB 1062 eliminates the requirement of DHS to define and prescribe standards for the sanitary conditions of public and semi-public buildings as well as inspect such premises and develop consequences for noncompliance of the standards.