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HomeHealth and Safety CodeDiv. 101Pt. 3Ch. 3Art. 4§ 101280 Environmental Health Supervision Requirements

§ 101280 Environmental Health Supervision Requirements

Health and Safety Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 101280 Environmental Health Supervision Requirements

When health services are moved to a new agency, the agency must have a qualified director of environmental health, give that director the powers and duties, set rules for staffing, and can charge fees to cover the director's costs.

Key Takeaways

  • •Each agency must have a registered environmental health director and enough qualified staff.
  • •The director receives all powers and duties that the county health officer would have had.
  • •The department must write rules about minimum staffing and check them regularly.
  • •If state fees don’t cover the director’s enforcement costs, the board can set its own fees.

Example

A county health department takes over a food‑safety program from the state. The county must hire a registered environmental health director, give that director the authority to enforce food‑safety rules, and can set inspection fees to pay for the director’s work.

The county follows the law by appointing a qualified director, delegating the state‑granted powers to that director, checking that enough staff are hired, and adding a fee schedule for restaurant inspections.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 101280 Environmental Health Supervision Requirements

If a transfer authorized by Section 101275 is made: (a)  Each agency shall employ as the immediate supervisor of the environmental health and sanitation services a director of environmental health who is a registered environmental health specialist and the agency shall employ an adequate number of registered environmental health specialists to carry on the program of environmental health and sanitation services. (b)  Wherever, in any statute, regulation, resolution, or order, a power is granted to, or a duty is imposed upon, a county health officer or county health department pertaining to environmental health and sanitation services and programs transferred by the board of supervisors, these powers and duties shall be delegated by the local health officer to the director of environmental health, who shall thereafter administer these powers and duties. (c)  The department shall adopt regulations pertaining to minimum program and personnel requirements of environmental health and sanitation services and programs. The department shall periodically review these programs to determine if minimum requirements are met. (d)  Whenever the board of supervisors determines that the expenses of its environmental health director in the enforcement of any statute, order, quarantine, or regulation prescribed by a state officer or department relating to environmental health and sanitation are not met by any fees prescribed by the state, the board may adopt an ordinance or resolution prescribing fees that will pay the reasonable expenses of the environmental health director incurred in enforcement. The schedule of fees prescribed by ordinance or resolution of the board of supervisors shall be applicable in the area in which the environmental health director enforces any statute, order, quarantine, rule, or regulation prescribed by a state officer or department relating to environmental health and sanitation. (Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 1023, Sec. 302.5. Effective September 29, 1996.)

Last verified: January 11, 2026

Key Terms

director of environmental healthregistered environmental health specialistenvironmental health and sanitation services

Related Statutes

  • § 101275 County Environmental Health Transfer
  • § 100425 Annual Fee Adjustment Mechanism
  • § 100430 Annual Fee Adjustment Formula
  • § 100435 State Registrar Fee Adjustment
  • § 100440 Marriage Record Fee Adjustment

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Health and Safety Code. Section 101280.
View Official Source