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HomeHealth and Safety CodeDiv. 105Pt. 5Ch. 1§ 121367 Health Officer Order Requirements

§ 121367 Health Officer Order Requirements

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

§ 121367 Health Officer Order Requirements

Key Takeaways

  • •A health officer's order must explain why it's being given and what laws allow it.
  • •The order must say what other, less strict options were tried or considered and why they didn't work.
  • •If someone is detained, they have the right to ask for release after 5 days unless a court says otherwise.
  • •Detained people have the right to a lawyer, and the health officer must check with a court every 90 days to keep detaining them.

Example

If someone has a serious illness and refuses treatment, a health officer might order them to stay in a hospital.

The order must explain why the person needs to be there, what other options were tried, and tell the person they can ask to leave after 5 days. The person also gets a lawyer and the health officer must check with a court every 90 days to keep them there.

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

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 121367 Health Officer Order Requirements

(a)  An order of a local health officer pursuant to Section 121365 shall set forth all of the following: (1)  The legal authority under which the order is issued, including the particular sections of state law or regulations. (2)  An individualized assessment of the person’s circumstances or behavior constituting the basis for the issuance of the order. (3)  The less restrictive treatment alternatives that were attempted and were unsuccessful, or the less restrictive treatment alternatives that were considered and rejected, and the reasons the alternatives were rejected. (4)  The orders shall be in writing, and shall include the name of the person, the period of time during which the order shall remain effective, the location, payer source if known, and other terms and conditions as may be necessary to protect the public health. Upon issuing an order, a copy of the order shall be served upon the person named in the order. (b)  An order for the detention of a person shall do all of the following: (1)  Include the purpose of the detention. (2)  Advise the person being detained that he or she has the right to request release from detention by contacting a person designated on the local health officer’s order at the telephone number stated on the order and that the detention shall not continue for more than five business days after the request for release, in the absence of a court order authorizing the detention. (3)  Advise the person being detained that, whether or not he or she requests release from detention, the local health officer is required to obtain a court order authorizing detention within 60 days following the commencement of detention and thereafter shall further seek court review of the detention within 90 days of the court order and within 90 days of each subsequent court review. (4)  Advise the person being detained that he or she has the right to arrange to be represented by counsel or to have counsel provided, and that if he or she chooses to have counsel provided, the counsel will be notified that the person has requested legal representation. (5)  Be accompanied by a separate notice that shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following additional information: (A)  That the person being detained has the right to request release from detention by contacting a person designated on the local health officer’s order at a telephone number stated on the order, and that the detention shall not continue for more than five business days after the request in the absence of a court order authorizing the detention. (B)  That he or she has the right to arrange to be advised and represented by counsel or to have counsel provided, and that if he or she chooses to have counsel provided, the counsel will be notified that the person has requested legal representation. (C)  That he or she may supply the addresses or telephone numbers of not more than two individuals to receive notification of the person’s detention, and that the local health officer shall, at the patient’s request, provide notice within the limits of reasonable diligence to those people that the person is being detained. (Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 7. Effective January 1, 1996.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

detentiontreatmenthealthreleaseregulationan orderauthorityassessment

Related Statutes

  • § 121451 Tuberculosis Control Funding Allocation
  • § 125002 Birth Defects Research Program
  • § 44520 Authority Rulemaking Powers
  • § 7502 Cemetery Remains Disinterment Rules
  • § 9003 Public Cemetery District Authority

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Health and Safety Code. Section 121367.
View Official Source