ARTICLE 1. Definitions and General Policy [101175. - 101185.]

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC 1.

in effect

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 101175. Section 101175.

The rapid increase in the population of the state and the increasing industrialization in both the urban and rural areas necessitate the provision of effective public health services to all the people of the state. In many areas within the state local health departments lack the necessary funds, and the local population lack the means to furnish funds, to provide effective public health services. The Legislature therefore seeks to further the provision of necessary public health services by granting financial assistance to local health departments thus enabling them to meet present and future health needs in an efficient and effective manner. The funds granted are to augment local appropriations provided for public health purposes, and shall not be used to replace local appropriations. The administrative pattern providing public health services to all the people of the state will vary in different areas. It is generally recognized that the minimum population necessary for efficient administration of a local health department is approximately 50,000. To attain this desirable population minimum it will be necessary in some areas for two or more counties to unite and establish a single administrative public health jurisdiction.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 101180. Section 101180.

“Population,” for the purpose of this chapter, shall be determined by the most recent United States decennial census; provided, however, whenever it appears to the department that the population of any city or county, changed sufficiently to warrant adjustment, the department for purposes of this chapter may request the Demographic Research Unit of the Department of Finance to determine the population for cities or counties.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 101185. Section 101185.

For the purposes of this chapter a “local health department” shall be interpreted to mean any one of the following public health administrative organizations: (a) A local health department serving one or more counties that shall provide services to all cities whose population is less than 50,000 in addition to the unincorporated territory of the county or counties. (b) A county health department that does not serve all of the cities of less than 50,000 population, but that has the provisional approval of the department, in accordance with Section 101225. (c) The health department of a city of 50,000 or greater population, except that the governing body of the city by resolution may declare its intention to be included under the jurisdiction of the county health department, as provided by existing statutes. (d) The local health department of any county that had under its jurisdiction on September 19, 1947, a population in excess of 1,000,000, or the local health department of any city and county.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026