65-202. Same; oath and bond of local health officers; duties and compensation; employment of additional personnel; removal from office; criminal penalties. The local health officer in each county throughout the state, immediately after his or her appointment, shall take the same oath of office prescribed by law for the county officers, shall give bond of five hundred dollars ($500) conditioned for the faithful performance of his or her duties, shall keep an accurate record of all the transactions of his or her office, shall turn over to his or her successor in office or to the county or joint board of health selecting such officer, on the expiration of his or her term of office, all records, documents and other articles belonging to the office and shall faithfully account to said board and to the county and state for all moneys coming into his or her hands by virtue of the office. Such officer shall notify the secretary of health and environment of his or her appointment and qualification, as herein provided for, and provide the secretary with his or her post-office address.

Such officer shall receive and distribute without delay in the county for which he or she is appointed all forms from the secretary of health and environment to the rightful persons, all returns from persons licensed to practice medicine and surgery, assessors and local boards to said secretary, shall keep an accurate record of all of the transactions of his or her office and shall turn over all records and documents kept by such officer, as herein provided, and all other articles belonging to the office to his or her successor in office, or to the county or joint board electing such officer, on the expiration of his or her term of office.

Such officer shall upon the opening of the fall term of school, make or have made a sanitary inspection of each school building and grounds, and shall make or have made such additional inspections thereof as are necessary to protect the public health of the students of the school.

Such officer shall make or have made an investigation of each case of smallpox, diphtheria, typhoid fever, scarlet fever, acute anterior poliomyelitis (infantile paralysis), epidemic cerebro-spinal meningitis and such other acute infectious, contagious or communicable diseases as may be required, and shall use all known measures to prevent the spread of any such infectious, contagious or communicable disease, and shall perform such other duties as this act, his or her county or joint board, or the secretary of health and environment may require.

Such officer shall receive for his or her services such reasonable compensation as his or her board may allow and with the approval of his or her board of health may employ a skilled professional nurse and other additional personnel whenever deemed necessary for the protection of the public health.

All of said several sums allowed shall be paid out of the county treasury. For any failure or neglect of said local health officer to perform any of the duties prescribed in this act, he or she may be removed from office by the secretary of health and environment, as well as in the manner prescribed by the preceding section. In addition to removal from office as provided herein, for any failure or neglect to perform any of the duties prescribed by this act, said local health officer shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, be fined not less than ten dollars ($10) nor more than one hundred dollars ($100) for each and every offense.

History: L. 1885, ch. 129, § 8; L. 1909, ch. 102, § 1; R.S. 1923, 65-202; L. 1925, ch. 202, § 1; L. 1927, ch. 240, § 1; L. 1973, ch. 246, § 2; L. 1975, ch. 462, § 70; L. 1980, ch. 182, § 26; July 1.