Senate Bill No. 126

Senate Bill No. 126-Committee on Commerce and Labor

February 10, 1997
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Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor

SUMMARY--Prohibits state hygienic laboratory from conducting certain examinations and analyses. (BDR 40-105)

FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No.

Effect on the State or on Industrial Insurance: Yes.

EXPLANATION - Matter in italics is new; matter in brackets [ ] is material to be omitted.

AN ACT relating to public health; prohibiting the state hygienic laboratory from conducting certain examinations and analyses; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

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Section 1 NRS 439.240 is hereby amended to read as follows:
439.240 1. The health division shall maintain the state hygienic laboratory, [heretofore] established pursuant to the provisions of chapter 230, Statutes of Nevada 1909, and may establish and maintain such branch laboratories as may be necessary.
2. The [purpose of the] state hygienic laboratory [is:
(a) To make] may:
(a) Make available, at such charges as may be determined upon, to health officials and licensed physicians of the state proper laboratory facilities for the prompt diagnosis of communicable diseases.
(b) [To make] Make necessary examinations and analyses of water, natural ice, sewage, milk, food [,] and clinical material [.
(c) To conduct] when a specific hazard to public health has been shown to exist.
(c) Conduct research into the nature, cause, diagnosis and control of diseases.
(d) [To undertake] Undertake such other technical and laboratory duties as the state board of health may direct in the interests of the public health.
3. The state hygienic laboratory shall not undertake examinations and analyses in which the costs of such examinations and analyses or the fees charged for such examinations and analyses are borne by a nongovernmental entity unless such examinations and analyses are not obtainable through another source.
4. The person in charge of the state hygienic laboratory [shall] must be a skilled bacteriologist, and [shall] must have such technical assistants as may be appointed by the administrator with the approval of the director.
[4.] 5. Reports of investigations conducted at the state hygienic laboratory may be published from time to time in bulletins and circulars, in the discretion of the state board of health.