The Medical Association of the State of Alabama, as constituted under the laws now in force or which hereafter may be in force, is the State Board of Health.

Each such council shall select from among its members, by majority vote, a chairman; and the chairman of each such council, by virtue of his selection as chairman, shall be a member of the state committee of public health with full voting privileges, rights and responsibilities of membership. As each term expires on each council, the designated association or person responsible for the original appointment shall fill the vacancy for a five-year term. Appointees who serve less than five-year terms shall be eligible for reappointment for only one five-year term. A council member who ceases to be a member of the appointing authority or who no longer is a resident of the State of Alabama shall automatically cease to be a member of the council and his unexpired term shall be filled by the original appointing authority. No person shall be eligible for appointment to the State Committee of Public Health or to a council created in Section 22-2-9 who, at the time of his appointment, is 65 years of age. A schedule of meetings for each council shall be established by each council on a quarterly basis, or more frequently, as may be deemed necessary. A majority of the members of each council shall constitute a quorum. The chairman of each council shall serve for a term of two years and may be reelected as chairman for not more than one successive term or for a total of four years as chairman. Members of the four councils as outlined in this section shall serve without compensation, but members may be reimbursed for expenses incurred in connection with attendance at council meetings or authorized business of the council pursuant to Article 2 of Chapter 7 of Title 36.

Subject to the provisions of the merit system, where applicable, the compensation of all employees, agents or subordinate personnel of the State Health Department shall be determined by the State Health Officer with the approval of the State Board of Health.

Except as otherwise provided by law, salaries of all employees and the costs of all supplies and other expenses necessary to make operative the provisions of this Code and other statutes administered or enforced by the State Health Department shall be paid by the State Health Department out of the general appropriation made by the Legislature for public health work.

When an expense has been incurred by any health officer, sheriff or bonded constable in the execution of the duties required by the provisions of this Code or other statute relating to public health, said health officer, sheriff or bonded constable, as the case may be, shall have the right of action against the person responsible for the said expense for the recovery of the same; but no more than is fair and reasonable shall be recovered, as the court or jury shall determine.

Any person who knowingly violates or fails or refuses to obey or comply with any rule or regulation adopted and promulgated by the State Board of Health of this state shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be fined not less than $25.00 nor more than $500.00 and, if the violation or failure or refusal to obey or comply with such rule or regulation is a continuing one, each day's violation, or failure or refusal shall constitute a separate offense and shall be punished accordingly.

The State Board of Health shall have authority and jurisdiction:

(1) To exercise general control over the enforcement of the laws relating to public health.

(2) To investigate the causes, modes or propagation and means of prevention of diseases.

(3) To investigate the influence of localities and employment on the health of the people.

(4) To inspect all schools, hospitals, asylums, jails, theatres, opera houses, courthouses, churches, public halls, prisons, stockades where convicts are kept, markets, dairies, milk depots, slaughter pens or houses, railroad depots, railroad cars, street railroad cars, lines of railroads and street railroads (including the territory contiguous to said lines), industrial and manufacturing establishments, offices, stores, banks, club houses, hotels, rooming houses, residences and other places of like character, and whenever insanitary conditions in any of these places, institutions or establishments or conditions prejudicial to health, or likely to become so, are found, proper steps shall be taken by the proper authorities to have such conditions corrected or abated.

(5) To examine the source of supply, tanks, reservoirs, pumping stations and avenues of conveyance of drinking water, and whenever these waters are found polluted or conditions are discovered likely to bring about their pollution, proper steps shall be taken by proper authorities to improve or correct conditions.

(6) To adopt and promulgate rules and regulations providing proper methods and details for administering the health and quarantine laws of the state, which rules and regulations shall have the force and effect of law and shall be executed and enforced by the same courts, bodies, officials, agents and employees as in the case of health laws, and a quorum, as provided for by the constitution of the medical association of the State of Alabama, shall be competent to act.

(7) To exercise supervision and control over county boards of health and over county health officers and county quarantine officers in the enforcement of the public health laws of the state in their respective counties, and whenever any such county board of health, county health officer or county quarantine officer shall fail or refuse to discharge its or his duties, said duties may be discharged by the State Board of Health until proper arrangements are made to insure their discharge by said county board of health or said county health officer or said county quarantine officer, as the case may be.

(8) To act as an advisory board to the state in all medical matters and matters of sanitation and public health.

The State Board of Health shall submit to the Governor an annual report of its transactions, in which report recommendations as to needed health legislation may be embodied.

There is hereby created a State Committee of Public Health which shall be composed of 12 members of the board of censors of the Medical Association of the State of Alabama and the chairman of the four councils which are created in Section 22-2-9. The medical doctor members of the committee shall be selected by the State Board of Health, one from each of the United States congressional districts and the remainder from the state at large. A majority of the state committee of public health shall elect a chairman and vice-chairman to serve one term of four years. Upon incapacitation or resignation of the chairman, the vice-chairman shall succeed to the chairmanship of the committee. Each member of the state committee of public health shall have one vote, except the chairman who shall vote only in case of a tie. The state health officer shall be ex officio secretary to the committee, though not a member thereof, and he shall have no vote.

The members of the committee shall receive per diem at a rate of $100.00 per day or any portion thereof that such committee members shall be in attendance at an official meeting or function of the committee. In addition, each committee member shall receive reimbursement for subsistence and travel in accordance with state law for each day actively engaged in the duties of their office.

Whenever the words 'State Board of Health' are used in this title, or in any chapter or subsection thereof, said words shall mean the 'State Committee of Public Health,' as created in Section 22-2-4, except when the State Board of Health is in actual session assembled. The State Committee of Public Health, as constituted by this chapter, shall have and possess all the prerogatives and powers and duties heretofore prescribed by law for the State Board of Health and shall act for said board. The State Board of Health may by a three-fifths vote alter or amend any action of the State Committee of Public Health, but only when said board is in session assembled.

When the State Board of Health is not in session, the State Committee of Public Health shall act for said board and have and discharge all the prerogatives and duties of said board, including the adoption and promulgation of rules and regulations. Meetings of the State Committee of Public Health shall be held monthly. A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum. Special meetings of the committee may be called by the chairman upon 10 days prior written notice to the members thereof.

The State Committee of Public Health and the State Board of Health shall be accountable to the Legislature of Alabama and shall make an annual report to the Legislature. The Legislature, or any committee thereof, may, from time to time, request certain information from the State Board of Health and the State Committee of Public Health, and both groups are hereby directed to lend their full cooperation in response to these requests.

The State Committee of Public Health shall elect an executive officer who shall be a physician licensed in the State of Alabama to be known as the State Health Officer and shall fix his term of office and salary. The qualifications of this individual shall be determined by the State Committee of Public Health. Before entering upon the duties of his office, the State Health Officer shall execute to the State of Alabama a bond, to be approved by the Governor, in the amount of $5,000.00, for the faithful performance of his duties. The State Health Officer so elected shall, under the direction of the State Committee of Public Health and with the approval of the State Personnel Board, fix the salaries of the medical employees of the State Committee of Public Health. When the State Committee of Public Health is not in session, the State Health Officer, as executive officer of the Department of Public Health, shall act for said committee and shall have and discharge all the prerogatives and duties of said committee. He shall report his actions to the committee at its next meeting after such action is taken, and such action of the State Health Officer shall then be subject to confirmation or modification by the committee. The State Health Officer shall exercise general supervision over county boards of health and county health officers and promptly report to said county boards of health any delinquencies of official duty on the part of said county health officers which may come to his knowledge, keep himself informed in regard to all diseases which may be in danger of invading the state and, as far as authorized by law, take prompt measures to prevent such invasions and keep the Governor and the Legislature informed as to the health conditions prevailing in the state, especially as to outbreaks of any of the diseases enumerated in Chapter 11 of this title, and submit to the Governor and Legislature such recommendations as he deems proper to control such outbreaks.

(a) There are hereby created four councils to be known as:

(1) The Council on Dental Health;

(2) The Council on Animal and Environmental Health;

(3) The Council on the Prevention of Disease and Medical Care; and

(4) The Council on Health Costs, Administration and Organization.

(b) It shall be the duty of the councils to provide public health information, evaluation of data, research, advice and recommendations to the State Committee of Public Health and perform such other functions as may be appropriate and as requested by the State Committee of Public Health.

(c) The Council on Dental Health shall be composed of five members licensed to practice dentistry in this state and appointed by the Alabama Dental Association. The initial appointment shall be one member for one year, one member for two years, one member for three years, one member for four years and one member for five years.

(d) The Council on Animal and Environmental Health shall be composed of five members as follows:

(1) Three doctors of veterinary medicine appointed by the Alabama Veterinary Medical Association;

(2) One physician appointed by the Medical Association of the State of Alabama; and

(3) One licensed professional engineer, trained and experienced in the environmental disciplines, appointed by the American Consulting Engineers Council of Alabama.

Of the five members of the Council on Animal and Environmental Health, the initial appointments by the Alabama Veterinary Medical Association shall be one for one year, one for three years and one for five years; the initial appointment by the Medical Association of the State of Alabama shall be one for two years and the initial appointment by the American Consulting Engineers Council of Alabama shall be one for four years.

(e) The Council on the Prevention of Disease and Medical Care shall be composed of five members as follows:

(1) Two medical doctors appointed by the Medical Association of the State of Alabama;

(2) One nutritionist appointed by the Alabama Dietetic Association;

(3) One licensed engineer trained and experienced in public health and sanitation appointed by the American Consulting Engineers Council of Alabama; and

(4) One nurse appointed by the Alabama State Nurses Association.

Of the five members of the Council on the Prevention of Disease and Medical Care, the initial appointments by the medical association of the State of Alabama shall be one for one year and one for five years; the initial appointment by the Alabama Dietetic Association shall be one for two years; the initial appointment by the American Consulting Engineers Council of Alabama shall be one for three years and the initial appointment by the Alabama State Nurses Association shall be for four years.

(f) The Council on Health Costs, Administration and Organization shall be composed of six members as follows:

(1) One medical doctor appointed by the Medical Association of the State of Alabama;

(2) One doctor of dentistry appointed by the Alabama Dental Association;

(3) Two representatives of the public who are residents of the State of Alabama appointed by the Governor;

(4) One pharmacist appointed by the Alabama Pharmaceutical Association; and

(5) One hospital administrator appointed by the Alabama Hospital Association.

Of the six members of the Council on Health Costs, Administration and Organization, the initial appointment by the Medical Association of the State of Alabama shall be for one year; the initial appointment by the Alabama Dental Association shall be for two years; the initial appointment of representatives of the public by the Governor shall be for three years; the initial appointment by the Alabama Pharmaceutical Association shall be for four years and the initial appointment by the Alabama Hospital Association shall be for five years.