To amend chapter 192, RSMo, by adding two new sections relating to public health functions.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF MISSOURI,

AS FOLLOWS:

Section A. Chapter 192, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto two new sections, to be known as sections 192.031 and 192.035, to read as follows:

192.031. 1. In order to protect the health of the citizens of the state of Missouri and to maintain the successful public health programs provided by the department of health, county, city and city/county health departments and the sizable investment by state and local governments in the public health system, the department of health and other state agencies shall encourage agreements with county, city and city/county and other publicly supported programs such as community health centers to continue to assure the provision of prevention and health promotion services, maternal, child and family services, immunization related services, sexually transmitted disease services, human immunodeficiency virus, tuberculosis and other communicable disease services, school related health services and screening services to provide early detection, assessment and referral for health care problems among special populations at risk for such problems.

2. The director of the department of health, in cooperation with other appropriate state agencies, and unless authority is specifically granted by statute to other state or local agencies, is responsible for the following core public health functions consistent with other provisions of state and federal law and court decisions interpreting such laws:

(1) Activities related to population based health measurement and outcomes reporting in cooperation with other state and federal agencies and health providers subject to the requirements of section 192.067;

(2) Assuring the enforcement of public health, safety and sanitary standards; providing for the investigation and control of communicable diseases; assessing, monitoring and assisting in the abatement of individual exposure to food, water, air, and ground contaminants; assisting in emergency preparedness and response; assessing and monitoring the exposure or risk of exposure to environmental contaminants. The department shall enter into cooperative agreements with the department of natural resources or other appropriate departments concerning activities in this section;

(3) Educating, supporting and evaluating the impact of programs to promote the health of the population and reduce the prevalence and incidence of disease and injury;

(4) Development of outreach and linkages to personal health services for special populations; assuring the availability of preventive and primary health care services to individuals and communities in federally designated health professional shortage areas or when a community based assessment identifies inadequate capacity from primary health providers;

(5) Provision of public health laboratory services that screen for diseases and conditions such as metabolic diseases in newborns, provide laboratory analysis of blood lead levels and other environmental toxins in humans, diagnose sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis and other diseases requiring partner notification, test for infectious and food-borne diseases, test for zoonosis, monitor the safety of food and private water supplies and monitor public water supplies in accordance with a cooperative agreement with the department of natural resources;

(6) Training and professional development to assure provision of quality care by the following: epidemiologists, biostatisticians, health educators, public health administrators, sanitarians, public health nurses, nutritionists and laboratory technicians;

(7) Leadership, policy development and administration activities for public health, including serving as a statewide partner in building a coalition of public and private entities to assess and improve community health status and providing support to statewide and local coalitions engaged in assessing and improving community health status.

192.035. 1. Subject to appropriation, chapter 34, RSMo, to the contrary notwithstanding, the department may directly contract with local governmental public health departments, multi-county governmental public health departments, any accredited school of public health or federally qualified health centers for the purpose of carrying out one or more of the functions in section 192.031. In such contracts the department shall require regular reports on services rendered and costs incurred and set minimum standards necessary to carry out the functions in section 192.031.

2. Sections 205.010 to 205.150, RSMo, to the contrary notwithstanding and pursuant to chapter 70, RSMo, local health departments may form multi-county health departments and share funds in order to carry out the provisions of section 192.031, as long as clear agreement exists between the collaborating jurisdictions delineating the source and amount of funds to be shared, purpose and responsibilities of the parties, dissolutionment procedures and other necessary matters.

3. The provisions of section 191.211, RSMo, to the contrary notwithstanding, gifts bequests, donations and general revenue may be appropriated for section 191.411, RSMo, and section 167.603, RSMo, until July 1, 1998.

4. The department shall utilize existing resources, in cooperation with the local public health agencies, to assess and inform the governor and general assembly on the statutory and funding needs of local public health agencies.