House of Representatives

SB 1065

sanitary inspections; places of employment

Sponsors: Senators Gerard: Hartley

X	Committee on Health
	Caucus and COW
	As Passed the House

SB 1065 removes the requirement placed upon the Department of Health Services to inspect places of employment.

History

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 duties, the Office is unable to fulfill all of the duties.

The audit suggests that DHS focus on tasks most relevant to their role in public health. In addition, the audit recommends the Office, after determining which duties have the greatest public health impact, propose legislation that revises the mandated duties by eliminating, delegating, or transferring duties to other agencies. SB 1065 eliminates the duty for DHS to prescribe measures and inspections of all workshops and places of employment.

Provisions

· Removes from statutory language the requirement for the director of DHS to create standards for and inspect workshops and places of employment for sanitary conditions.

· Allows the director of DHS to prescribe emergency measures for detecting, reporting, preventing and controlling communicable and infectious diseases if reasonable cause that a serious threat exists, without the approval of the Communicable Disease Advisory Council.

· Makes technical and conforming changes.

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44th Legislature

Second Regular Session 2 March 5, 2001

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