50-2-118. Powers and duties of local health officers. (1) Local health officers or their authorized representatives shall:
     (a) make inspections for sanitary conditions;
     (b) as directed by the local board, issue written orders for the destruction and removal of filth which might cause disease;
     (c) with written approval of the department, order buildings or facilities where people congregate closed during epidemics;
     (d) on forms provided by the department, report communicable diseases to the department each week;
     (e) before the first day of January, April, July, and October, give a report to the local board of sanitary conditions in the county, city, city-county, or district, together with a detailed account of his activities, on forms and containing information required by the department;
     (f) before the 10th day after the report is given to the local board, send a copy of the report required by subsection (1)(e) of this section to the department;
     (g) as prescribed by rules adopted by the department, establish and maintain quarantines;
     (h) as prescribed by rules adopted by the department, supervise the disinfection of places at the expense of the local board when a period of quarantine ends;
     (i) notify the department of his appointment and changes in membership of the local board;
     (j) file a complaint with the appropriate court if this chapter or rules adopted by the local board or state department under this chapter are violated;
     (k) validate state licenses issued by the department in accordance with chapters 50 through 53 of this title.
     (2) With approval of the department, local health officers may forbid persons to assemble in a place if the assembly endangers public health.
     (3) A local health officer who is a physician may be placed in charge of a communicable disease hospital, but a local health officer who is a physician is not required to act as a physician to the indigent.
     (4) A local health officer who is not a physician shall not act as a physician to anyone.

     History: En. Sec. 87, Ch. 197, L. 1967; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 196, L. 1971; amd. Sec. 56, Ch. 349, L. 1974; R.C.M. 1947, 69-4510; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 200, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 18, Ch. 708, L. 1991.