§22-2-8. State Health Officer.

The State Committee of Public Health shall elect an executive officer who shall be a physician licensed in the State of Alabama to be known as the State Health Officer and shall fix his term of office and salary. The qualifications of this individual shall be determined by the State Committee of Public Health. Before entering upon the duties of his office, the State Health Officer shall execute to the State of Alabama a bond, to be approved by the Governor, in the amount of $5,000.00, for the faithful performance of his duties. The State Health Officer so elected shall, under the direction of the State Committee of Public Health and with the approval of the State Personnel Board, fix the salaries of the medical employees of the State Committee of Public Health. When the State Committee of Public Health is not in session, the State Health Officer, as executive officer of the Department of Public Health, shall act for said committee and shall have and discharge all the prerogatives and duties of said committee. He shall report his actions to the committee at its next meeting after such action is taken, and such action of the State Health Officer shall then be subject to confirmation or modification by the committee. The State Health Officer shall exercise general supervision over county boards of health and county health officers and promptly report to said county boards of health any delinquencies of official duty on the part of said county health officers which may come to his knowledge, keep himself informed in regard to all diseases which may be in danger of invading the state and, as far as authorized by law, take prompt measures to prevent such invasions and keep the Governor and the Legislature informed as to the health conditions prevailing in the state, especially as to outbreaks of any of the diseases enumerated in Chapter 11 of this title, and submit to the Governor and Legislature such recommendations as he deems proper to control such outbreaks.

(Acts 1943, No. 122, p. 123; Acts 1961, Ex. Sess., No. 208, p. 2190; Acts 1973, No. 762, p. 1141, §4.)