AN ACT TO MAKE CLARIFYING AND OTHER CHANGES IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH LAW RELATED TO THE MEDICAL EXAMINER SYSTEM, INJURY CONTROL EFFORTS, TIMELINESS OF REPORTS BY SCHOOLS REGARDING IMMUNIZATIONS, AND THE CREATION, EXTENSION, AND DISSOLUTION OF SANITARY DISTRICTS.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 130A‑47 reads as rewritten:
"§ 130A‑47.  Creation by Commission.
(a)	For the purpose of preserving and promoting the public health and welfare, the Commission may create sanitary districts without regard for county, township or municipal lines. However, no municipal corporation or any part of the territory in a municipal corporation shall be included in a sanitary district except at the request of the governing board of the municipal corporation. If the municipal corporation has not levied any tax nor performed any official act nor held any elections within a period of four years preceding the date of the petition for the sanitary district, a request of the governing board shall not be required.
(b)	For the purposes of this Part, the term 'Department' means the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the term 'Secretary' means the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources."
SECTION 2.  G.S. 130A‑155(c) reads as rewritten:
"(c)	The school shall file an annual immunization report with the Department by November 1. The child care facility shall file an immunization report annually with the Department. The report shall be filed on forms prepared by the Department and shall state the number of children attending the school or facility, the number of children who had not obtained the required immunization within 30 days of their first attendance, the number of children who received a medical exemption and the number of children who received a religious exemption."
SECTION 3.  Article 7 of Chapter 130A of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new Part to read:
"Part 6. Injury Prevention.
"§ 130A‑224.  Department to establish program.
To protect and enhance the public health, welfare, and safety, the Department shall establish and administer a comprehensive statewide injury prevention program. The Department shall designate the Division of Public Health as the lead agency for injury prevention activities. The Division of Public Health shall:
(1)	Develop a comprehensive State plan for injury prevention;
(2)	Maintain an injury prevention program that includes data collection, surveillance, and education and promotes injury control activities; and
(3)	Develop collaborative relationships with other State agencies and private and community organizations to establish programs promoting injury prevention."
SECTION 4.  G.S. 130A‑382 reads as rewritten:
"§ 130A‑382.  County medical examiners; appointment; term of office; vacancies.
One or more county medical examiners for each county shall be appointed by the Chief Medical Examiner for a three‑year term. County medical examiners shall be appointed from a list of physicians licensed to practice medicine in this State submitted by the medical society of the county in which the appointment is to be made. If no names are submitted by the society, the Chief Medical Examiner shall appoint one or more medical examiners from physicians in the county licensed to practice medicine in this State. In the event no licensed physician in a county accepts an appointment, the Chief Medical Examiner may appoint as acting county medical examiner one or more physicians licensed to practice medicine in this State from other counties, a licensed physician assistant, a nurse, a coroner, or an individual who has taken an approved course of training as required by the Chief Medical Examiner.  The acting county medical examiner shall have all the duties and authority of the physician medical examiner except to perform autopsies. A medical examiner may serve more than one county. The Chief Medical Examiner may take jurisdiction in any case or appoint another medical examiner to do so."
SECTION 5.  G.S. 130A‑381 reads as rewritten:
"§ 130A‑381.  Additional services and facilities.
In order to provide proper facilities for investigating deaths as authorized in this Part, the Chief Medical Examiner may arrange for the use of existing public or private laboratory facilities. Each county shall provide or contract for an appropriate facility for the examination and storage of bodies under Medical Examiner jurisdiction. The Chief Medical Examiner may contract with qualified persons to perform or to provide support services for autopsies and other studies and investigations."
SECTION 6.  This act is effective when it becomes law.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 28th day of June, 2007.

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		 Beverly E. Perdue
	 President of the Senate

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		 Joe Hackney
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives

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		 Michael F. Easley
	 Governor

Approved __________.m. this ______________ day of ___________________, 2007