2011 Indiana Code
TITLE 16. HEALTH
ARTICLE 20. LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS
CHAPTER 3. MULTIPLE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENTS

IC 16-20-3
Chapter 3. Multiple County Health Departments

IC 16-20-3-1
Establishment; conditions; notice
Sec. 1. (a) The county executives of at least two (2) adjacent counties may establish and maintain a multiple county health department if the following conditions are met:
(1) The state department approves the establishment of a multiple county health department.
(2) The county executive of each of the involved counties approves a separate ordinance establishing a multiple county health department.
(b) Upon establishment of a multiple county health department, the county executives shall notify the state department of the action.
As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.3.

IC 16-20-3-2
Board members; qualifications; appointment
Sec. 2. (a) There must be at least seven (7) members of a multiple county board of health.
(b) The county executives establishing a multiple county health department shall determine the following for the multiple county board of health:
(1) The number of members.
(2) The qualifications of members.
(3) The number of appointments made by each county.
(c) The county executive of each county participating in a multiple county board of health shall appoint at least one (1) licensed physician.
(d) At least two-thirds (2/3) of the members appointed under this section must have expertise in public health. The appointees may be any of the following:
(1) A registered nurse licensed under IC 25-23.
(2) A registered pharmacist licensed under IC 25-26.
(3) A dentist licensed under IC 25-14.
(4) A hospital administrator.
(5) A social worker.
(6) An attorney with expertise in health matters.
(7) A school superintendent.
(8) A veterinarian licensed under IC 25-38.1.
(9) A professional engineer registered under IC 25-31.
(10) An environmental scientist.
As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.3. Amended by P.L.2-2008, SEC.40.

IC 16-20-3-3
Removal of board member; grounds
Sec. 3. A member of a multiple county board of health may be removed by the appointing authority if the board member does any of the following: (1) Is absent from three (3) consecutive regular board meetings.
(2) Is absent from four (4) regular board meetings during a calendar year.
(3) Fails to perform required statutory duties.
As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.3.

IC 16-20-3-4
Compensation of board members
Sec. 4. Members of a multiple county board of health may receive compensation for the performance of their duties as determined by the fiscal body of the county from which the members were appointed.
As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.3.

IC 16-20-3-5
Term of office; staggered terms
Sec. 5. (a) Each member of a multiple county board of health shall be appointed for a term of four (4) years.
(b) Unless otherwise required by law, after December 31, 1991, board members serve staggered terms. The appointing authority shall appoint members of a board in existence on December 31, 1991, and the initial members of a board established after December 31, 1991, as follows:
(1) One (1) member shall be appointed for one (1) year.
(2) Two (2) members shall be appointed for two (2) years.
(3) Two (2) members shall be appointed for three (3) years.
(4) Two (2) members shall be appointed for four (4) years.
As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.3.

IC 16-20-3-6
Vacancies; qualified replacements
Sec. 6. (a) Members continue to serve until their successors are appointed. When a vacancy occurs, the original appointing authority shall appoint a qualified person to serve the unexpired term.
(b) Whenever a vacancy occurs on a multiple county board of health, the local board of health shall provide to the appointing authority a list of five (5) individuals, at least three (3) of whom must have professional experience in one (1) of the following areas:
(1) Medicine.
(2) Nursing.
(3) Hospital administration.
(4) School superintendent.
(5) Pharmacology.
(6) Dentistry.
(7) Veterinary medicine.
(8) Social work.
(9) Legal profession.
(10) Engineering.
(11) Environmental science.
(c) The list must include at least one (1) licensed physician. The

appointing authority may select an individual from the list when filling a vacancy.
As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.3.

IC 16-20-3-7
Election of chairman
Sec. 7. At the first meeting of a multiple county board of health each year, the members shall elect a chairman.
As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.3.

IC 16-20-3-8
Meetings; call; quorum
Sec. 8. (a) Meetings may be called by any of the following:
(1) The chairman.
(2) Four (4) members of the multiple county board of health.
(3) The local health officer.
(b) A majority of the members constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business.
As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.3.

IC 16-20-3-9
Health officer; appointment; term; qualifications; certification; reappointment; duties
Sec. 9. (a) A multiple county board of health shall appoint a health officer to serve for a term of four (4) years. The health officer must be a licensed physician.
(b) The appointment of the health officer shall be certified by the county executive of each participating county and sent to the state department for the state department's records.
(c) The health officer is eligible for reappointment.
(d) The health officer is the executive officer of the multiple county health department and shall serve as secretary of the multiple county board of health.
As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.3.

IC 16-20-3-10
Annual levy for maintenance of department; county health fund; appropriations
Sec. 10. (a) The fiscal body of each county that has become a part of a multiple county health department by ordinance of the county executive shall assess a levy annually on the assessed valuation of taxable property for maintenance of the multiple county health department.
(b) The taxes shall be paid into the county treasury and placed in a special fund to be known as the county health fund. The fund may be used only for the purpose of this title and may be drawn upon by the proper officers of the county upon the properly authenticated vouchers of the multiple county health department.
(c) Each county fiscal body shall appropriate from the county health fund money necessary to pay the fiscal body's apportioned

share to maintain a multiple county health department in the proportion that the population of the county bears to the total population of all counties in the multiple county health department.
As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.3.