Subd. 1. Jurisdiction; enforcement.

A county or multicounty board of health has the powers and duties of a board of health for all territory within its jurisdiction not under the jurisdiction of a city board of health. Under the general supervision of the commissioner, the board shall enforce laws, regulations, and ordinances pertaining to the powers and duties of a board of health within its jurisdictional area.

Subd. 2. Appointment of agent.

A board of health must appoint, employ, or contract with a person or persons to act on its behalf. The board shall notify the commissioner of the agent's name, address, and phone number where the agent may be reached between board meetings and submit a copy of the resolution authorizing the agent to act on the board's behalf.

Subd. 3. Employment; medical consultant.

1. (a) A board of health may establish a health department or other administrative agency and may employ persons as necessary to carry out its duties.
2. (b) Except where prohibited by law, employees of the board of health may act as its agents.
3. (c) Employees of the board of health are subject to any personnel administration rules adopted by a city council or county board forming the board of health unless the employees of the board are within the scope of a statewide personnel administration system.
4. (d) The board of health may appoint, employ, or contract with a medical consultant to receive appropriate medical advice and direction.

Subd. 4. Acquisition of property; request for and acceptance of funds; collection of fees.

1. (a) A board of health may acquire and hold in the name of the county or city the lands, buildings, and equipment necessary for the purposes of sections 145A.03 to 145A.131. It may do so by any lawful means, including gifts, purchase, lease, or transfer of custodial control.
2. (b) A board of health may accept gifts, grants, and subsidies from any lawful source, apply for and accept state and federal funds, and request and accept local tax funds.
3. (c) A board of health may establish and collect reasonable fees for performing its duties and providing community health services.
4. (d) With the exception of licensing and inspection activities, access to community health services provided by or on contract with the board of health must not be denied to an individual or family because of inability to pay.

Subd. 5. Contracts.

To improve efficiency, quality, and effectiveness, avoid unnecessary duplication, and gain cost advantages, a board of health may contract to provide, receive, or ensure provision of services.

Subd. 6. Investigation; reporting and control of communicable diseases.

A board of health shall make investigations and reports and obey instructions on the control of communicable diseases as the commissioner may direct under section 144.12, 145A.06, subdivision 2, or 145A.07. Boards of health must cooperate so far as practicable to act together to prevent and control epidemic diseases.

Subd. 6a. Minnesota Responds Medical Reserve Corps; planning.

A board of health receiving funding for emergency preparedness or pandemic influenza planning from the state or from the United States Department of Health and Human Services shall participate in planning for emergency use of volunteer health professionals through the Minnesota Responds Medical Reserve Corps program of the Department of Health. A board of health shall collaborate on volunteer planning with other public and private partners, including but not limited to local or regional health care providers, emergency medical services, hospitals, tribal governments, state and local emergency management, and local disaster relief organizations.

Subd. 6b. Minnesota Responds Medical Reserve Corps; agreements.

A board of health participating in the Minnesota Responds Medical Reserve Corps program may enter into written mutual aid agreements for deployment of its paid employees and its Minnesota Responds Medical Reserve Corps volunteers with other boards of health, other political subdivisions within the state, or with tribal governments within the state. A board of health may also enter into agreements with the Indian Health Services of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and with boards of health, political subdivisions, and tribal governments in bordering states and Canadian provinces.

Subd. 6c. Minnesota Responds Medical Reserve Corps; when mobilized.

When a board of health finds that the prevention, mitigation, response to, or recovery from an actual or threatened public health event or emergency exceeds its local capacity, it shall use available mutual aid agreements. If the event or emergency exceeds mutual aid capacities, a board of health may request the commissioner of health to mobilize Minnesota Responds Medical Reserve Corps volunteers from outside the jurisdiction of the board of health.

Subd. 6d. Minnesota Responds Medical Reserve Corps; liability coverage.

A Minnesota Responds Medical Reserve Corps volunteer responding to a request for training or assistance at the call of a board of health must be deemed an employee of the jurisdiction for purposes of workers' compensation, tort claim defense, and indemnification.

Subd. 7. Entry for inspection.

To enforce public health laws, ordinances or rules, a member or agent of a board of health may enter a building, conveyance, or place where contagion, infection, filth, or other source or cause of preventable disease exists or is reasonably suspected.

Subd. 8. Removal and abatement of public health nuisances.

1. (a) If a threat to the public health such as a public health nuisance, source of filth, or cause of sickness is found on any property, the board of health or its agent shall order the owner or occupant of the property to remove or abate the threat within a time specified in the notice but not longer than ten days. Action to recover costs of enforcement under this subdivision must be taken as prescribed in section 145A.08.

2. (b) Notice for abatement or removal must be served on the owner, occupant, or agent of the property in one of the following ways:

   1. (1) by registered or certified mail;
   2. (2) by an officer authorized to serve a warrant; or
   3. (3) by a person aged 18 years or older who is not reasonably believed to be a party to any action arising from the notice.
3. (c) If the owner of the property is unknown or absent and has no known representative upon whom notice can be served, the board of health or its agent shall post a written or printed notice on the property stating that, unless the threat to the public health is abated or removed within a period not longer than ten days, the board will have the threat abated or removed at the expense of the owner under section 145A.08 or other applicable state or local law.
4. (d) If the owner, occupant, or agent fails or neglects to comply with the requirement of the notice provided under paragraphs (b) and (c), then the board of health or its agent shall remove or abate the nuisance, source of filth, or cause of sickness described in the notice from the property.

Subd. 9. Injunctive relief.

In addition to any other remedy provided by law, the board of health may bring an action in the court of appropriate jurisdiction to enjoin a violation of statute, rule, or ordinance that the board has power to enforce, or to enjoin as a public health nuisance any activity or failure to act that adversely affects the public health.

Subd. 10. Hindrance of enforcement prohibited; penalty.

It is a misdemeanor deliberately to hinder a member of a board of health or its agent from entering a building, conveyance, or place where contagion, infection, filth, or other source or cause of preventable disease exists or is reasonably suspected, or otherwise to interfere with the performance of the duties of the board of health.

Subd. 11. Neglect of enforcement prohibited; penalty.

It is a misdemeanor for a member or agent of a board of health to refuse or neglect to perform a duty imposed on a board of health by statute or ordinance.

Subd. 12. Other powers and duties established by law.

This section does not limit powers and duties of a board of health prescribed in other sections.