2005 Connecticut Code - Sec. 19a-2a. Powers and duties.
Sec. 19a-2a. Powers and duties. The Commissioner of Public Health shall employ
the most efficient and practical means for the prevention and suppression of disease and
shall administer all laws under the jurisdiction of the Department of Public Health and
the Public Health Code. He shall have responsibility for the overall operation and administration of the Department of Public Health. The commissioner shall have the power
and duty to: (1) Administer, coordinate and direct the operation of the department; (2)
adopt and enforce regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, as are necessary to carry
out the purposes of the department as established by statute; (3) establish rules for the
internal operation and administration of the department; (4) establish and develop programs and administer services to achieve the purposes of the department as established
by statute; (5) contract for facilities, services and programs to implement the purposes
of the department as established by statute; (6) designate a deputy commissioner or
other employee of the department to sign any license, certificate or permit issued by
said department; (7) conduct a hearing, issue subpoenas, administer oaths, compel testimony and render a final decision in any case when a hearing is required or authorized
under the provisions of any statute dealing with the Department of Public Health; (8) with
the health authorities of this and other states, secure information and data concerning the
prevention and control of epidemics and conditions affecting or endangering the public
health, and compile such information and statistics and shall disseminate among health
authorities and the people of the state such information as may be of value to them; (9)
annually issue a list of reportable diseases and reportable laboratory findings and amend
such list as he deems necessary and distribute such list as well as any necessary forms
to each licensed physician and clinical laboratory in this state. He shall prepare printed
forms for reports and returns, with such instructions as may be necessary, for the use
of directors of health, boards of health and registrars of vital statistics; (10) specify
uniform methods of keeping statistical information by public and private agencies, organizations and individuals, including a client identifier system, and collect and make
available relevant statistical information, including the number of persons treated, frequency of admission and readmission, and frequency and duration of treatment. The
client identifier system shall be subject to the confidentiality requirements set forth in
section 17a-688 and regulations adopted thereunder. The commissioner may designate
any person to perform any of the duties listed in subdivision (7) of this section. He shall
have authority over directors of health and may, for cause, remove any such director;
but any person claiming to be aggrieved by such removal may appeal to the Superior
Court which may affirm or reverse the action of the commissioner as the public interest
requires. He shall assist and advise local directors of health in the performance of their
duties, and may require the enforcement of any law, regulation or ordinance relating to
public health. When requested by local directors of health, he shall consult with them
and investigate and advise concerning any condition affecting public health within their
jurisdiction. He shall investigate nuisances and conditions affecting, or that he has reason
to suspect may affect, the security of life and health in any locality and, for that purpose,
he, or any person authorized by him so to do, may enter and examine any ground, vehicle,
apartment, building or place, and any person designated by him shall have the authority
conferred by law upon constables. Whenever he determines that any provision of the
general statutes or regulation of the Public Health Code is not being enforced effectively
by a local health department, he shall forthwith take such measures, including the performance of any act required of the local health department, to ensure enforcement of
such statute or regulation and shall inform the local health department of such measures.
In September of each year he shall certify to the Secretary of the Office of Policy and
Management the population of each municipality. The commissioner may solicit and
accept for use any gift of money or property made by will or otherwise, and any grant
of or contract for money, services or property from the federal government, the state or
any political subdivision thereof or any private source, and do all things necessary to
cooperate with the federal government or any of its agencies in making an application for
any grant or contract. The commissioner may establish state-wide and regional advisory
councils.
History: P.A. 93-381 effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 94-174 required commissioner to certify the population of each municipality to the secretary of the office of policy and management in September of each year, effective June 6, 1994; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, deleted responsibilities for coordination of alcohol and drug abuse problems, replaced "complete" with "compel" in Subdiv. (7), deleted duties re alcohol and drug facilities in Subdiv. (10) and added designation authority in Subdiv. (11), effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 03-252 deleted former Subdiv. (11) re requirement that commissioner make annual inspection of hospitals, asylums, prisons, schools and other institutions.
See Sec. 4b-31a re commissioner's role in development of plan for colocation of family resource centers and school-based health clinics.
See Sec. 22a-1i re environmental risk assessment duties.
Legislature has vested commissioner of public health with expansive powers with respect to enacting and enforcing public health law, as well as overseeing implementation and coordination of state and municipal health regulations. 263 C. 558.
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