WEST virginia legislature

2025 regular session

Committee Substitute

for

Senate Bill 904

By Senator Deeds

[Reported March 27, 2025, from the Committee on Health and Human Resources]

A BILL to amend and reenact §16-1-5 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to the clarification of requirements for Commissioner of the Bureau for Public Health.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 1. STate public health system.

§16-1-5. State health officer; Commissioner of the Bureau for Public Health; appointment; qualifications; term.

The Commissioner of the Bureau for Public Health may be designated the State Health Officer. The commissioner and the State Health Officer shall be appointed by the secretary. The commissioner shall be a person holding a doctorate degree in public health administration unless designated the state health officer. The State Health Officer shall be licensed under the laws of this state to practice medicine. The commissioner and the State Health Officer serve at the will and pleasure of the secretary and shall not be actively engaged or employed in any other business, vocation, or employment, serving full-time in the duties of the office as prescribed by this article.