Ind. Code ch. 16-20-3

Ind. Code ch. 16-20-3
in effect

Ind. Code § 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. [Pre-1993 Recodification Citation: 16-1-3.9-1.] As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.3.

Ind. Code § 16-20-3-1.5 Physical office requirement; consumer accessible services

Sec. 1.5. (a) A multiple county health department must maintain at least one (1) physical office in each represented county. (b) Each physical office must at least offer consumer accessible services, including: (1) vital records; (2) environmental inspections; and (3) permit services. As added by P.L.164-2023, SEC.28.

Ind. Code § 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 the members of the multiple county board of health, except that the executive of the most populous municipality of the participating counties of the multiple county board of health shall appoint one (1) member to the multiple county board of health. (d) The appointments made by the county executives must meet the following requirements: (1) At least five (5) individuals appointed to the multiple county board of health must be knowledgeable in clinical and public health and also be one (1) of the following: (A) A physician licensed under IC 25-22.5. (B) A registered nurse licensed under IC 25-23. (C) A registered pharmacist licensed under IC 25-26. (D) A dentist licensed under IC 25-14. (E) A hospital administrator. (F) A social worker. (G) An attorney with expertise in health matters. (H) A school superintendent. (I) A veterinarian licensed under IC 25-38.1. (J) A professional engineer registered under IC 25-31. (K) An environmental scientist. (L) A physician assistant licensed under IC 25-27.5. (M) A public health professional, including an epidemiologist. (2) At least one (1) individual who either has public health knowledge or is a member of the public and is recommended by any of the participating county fiscal bodies. [Pre-1993 Recodification Citation: 16-1-3.9-2(a).] As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.3. Amended by P.L.2-2008, SEC.40; P.L.164-2023, SEC.29.

Ind. Code § 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. [Pre-1993 Recodification Citation: 16-1-3.9-2(b).] As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.3.

Ind. Code § 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. [Pre-1993 Recodification Citation: 16-1-3.9-3.] As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.3.

Ind. Code § 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. [Pre-1993 Recodification Citation: 16-1-3.9-4(a).] As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.3.

Ind. Code § 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. [Pre-1993 Recodification Citation: 16-1-3.9-4(b), (c).] As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.3.

Ind. Code § 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. [Pre-1993 Recodification Citation: 16-1-3.9-5(a) part.] As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.3.

Ind. Code § 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. [Pre-1993 Recodification Citation: 16-1-3.9-5(a) part, (b).] As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.3.

Ind. Code § 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 in accordance with IC 16-20-1-9.5 and section 2 of this chapter to serve for a term of four (4) years. The appointment of the health officer is subject to the approval of the legislative body of each participating county. If the legislative bodies of the participating counties fail to approve the nominated individual on two (2) separate occasions, the individual is barred from further consideration for the position. (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 and serves until a successor is appointed and qualified. (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. (e) If a multiple county board of health wants to employ a local health officer who is not a physician, but meets the requirements of IC 16-20-1-9.5(a)(2), the multiple county board of health must do the following: (1) Obtain the approval of the county executives. (2) Upon obtaining the approval under subdivision (1), submit a request to the executive board of the state department for approval to employ the individual. The request must detail how the multiple county board of health plans to ensure the appropriate clinical oversight for any provided medical services. (f) The executive board of the state department shall determine whether to approve a request under subsection (e)(2) based on the needs of the counties or jurisdiction and the qualifications of the individual. (g) A local health officer may be appointed to serve simultaneously more than one (1) local board of health. [Pre-1993 Recodification Citation: 16-1-3.9-6.] As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.3. Amended by P.L.219-2021, SEC.9; P.L.164-2023, SEC.30.

Ind. Code § 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. (d) Money in the fund at the end of a fiscal year does not revert to the county's general fund. [Pre-1993 Recodification Citation: 16-1-3.9-7.] As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.3. Amended by P.L.164-2023, SEC.31.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://iga.in.gov/laws/2026/ic/titles/16Fetched: 10/17/2026

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