Article 13.
Health and Social Services.
§ 153A-247. Provision for public health and mental health.
A county may provide for and regulate the public health pursuant to Chapter 130A of the General Statutes and any other law authorizing local public health activities and may provide mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse programs pursuant to Chapter 122C of the General Statutes. (1973, c. 822, s. 1; 1985, c. 589, s. 58; 2018-47, s. 6(d).)
§ 153A-248. Health-related appropriations.
(a) A county may appropriate revenues not otherwise limited as to use by law to any of the following:
(1) A licensed facility for individuals with intellectual or other developmental disabilities, whether publicly or privately owned, to assist in maintaining and developing facilities and treatment, if the board of commissioners determines that the care offered by the facility is available to residents of the county. The facility need not be located within the county.
(2) A sheltered workshop or other private, nonprofit, charitable organization offering work or training activities to individuals with physical disabilities or intellectual or other developmental disabilities, and may otherwise assist the organization.
(3) An orthopedic hospital, whether publicly or privately owned, to assist in maintaining and developing facilities and treatment, if the board of commissioners determines that the care offered by the hospital is available to residents of the county. The hospital need not be located within the county.
(4) A training center or other private, nonprofit, charitable organization offering education, treatment, rehabilitation, or developmental programs to individuals with physical disabilities or intellectual or other developmental disabilities, and may otherwise assist the organizations. Such action, however, shall be with the concurrence of the county board of education. Within 30 days after receipt of the request for concurrence, the county board of education shall notify the board of county commissioners whether it concurs, and should it fail to so notify the board of county commissioners within this period, it shall be deemed to have concurred.
(b) The ordinance making the appropriation shall state specifically what the appropriation is to be used for, and the board of commissioners shall require that the recipient account for the appropriation at the close of the fiscal year. (1967, cc. 464, 1074; 1969, c. 802; 1973, c. 822, s. 1; 1977, c. 474; 1979, c. 1074, s. 2; 2019-76, s. 31.)
§ 153A-249. Hospital services.
A county may provide and support hospital services pursuant to Chapters 122C, 131 and 131E of the General Statutes. (1868, c. 20, s. 8; Code, s. 707; Rev., s. 1318; C.S., s. 1297; 1923, c. 81; 1973, c. 822, s. 1; 1985, c. 589, s. 59.)
§ 153A-250. Ambulance services.
(a) A county may by ordinance franchise ambulance services provided in the county to the public at large, whether the service is based inside or outside the county. The ordinance may:
(1) Grant franchises to ambulance operators on terms set by the board of commissioners;
(2) Make it unlawful to provide ambulance services or to operate an ambulance in the county without such a franchise;
(3) Limit the number of ambulances that may be operated within the county;
(4) Limit the number of ambulances that may be operated by each franchised operator;
(5) Determine the areas of the county that may be served by each franchised operator;
(6) Establish and from time to time revise a schedule of rates, fees, and charges that may be charged by franchised operators;
(7) Set minimum limits of liability insurance for each franchised operator;
(8) Establish other necessary regulations consistent with and supplementary to any statute or any Department of Health and Human Services regulation relating to ambulance services.
Before it may adopt an ordinance pursuant to this subsection, the board of commissioners must first hold a public hearing on the need for ambulance services. The board shall cause notice of the hearing to be published once a week for two successive weeks before the hearing. After the hearing the board may adopt an ordinance if it finds that to do so is necessary to assure the provision of adequate and continuing ambulance service and to preserve, protect, and promote the public health, safety, and welfare.
If a person, firm, or corporation is providing ambulance services in a county or any portion thereof on the effective date of an ordinance adopted pursuant to this subsection, the person, firm, or corporation is entitled to a franchise to continue to serve that part of the county in which the service is being provided. The board of commissioners shall determine whether the person, firm, or corporation so entitled to a franchise is in compliance with Chapter 131E, Article 7; and if that is the case, the board shall grant the franchise.
(b) In lieu of or in addition to adopting an ordinance pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, a county may operate or contract for ambulance services in all or a portion of the county. A county may appropriate for ambulance services any revenues not otherwise limited as to use by law, and may establish and from time to time revise schedules of rates, fees, charges, and penalties for the ambulance services. A county may operate its ambulance services as a line department or may create an ambulance commission and vest in it authority to operate the ambulance services.
(c) A city may adopt an ordinance pursuant to and under the procedures of subsection (a) of this section and may operate or contract for ambulance services pursuant to subsection (b) of this section if (i) the county in which the city is located has adopted a resolution authorizing the city to do so or (ii) the county has not, within 180 days after being requested by the city to do so, provided for ambulance services within the city pursuant to this section. Any action taken by a city pursuant to this subsection shall apply only within the corporate limits of the city.
If a city is exercising a power granted by this subsection, the county in which the city is located may thereafter take action to provide for ambulance service within the city, either under subsection (a) or subsection (b) of this section, only after having given to the city 180 days' notice of the county's intention to take action. At the end of the 180 days, the city's authority under this subsection is preempted by the county.
(d) A county or a city may contract with a franchised ambulance operator or with another county or city for ambulance service to be provided upon the call of a department or agency of the county or city. A county may contract with a franchised ambulance operator for transportation of indigents or persons certified by the county department of social services to be public assistance recipients.
(e) Each county or city operating ambulance services is subject to the provisions of Chapter 131E, Article 7 ("Regulation of Emergency Medical Services"). (1967, c. 343, s. 5; 1969, c. 147; 1973, c. 476, s. 128; c. 822, s. 1; 1997-443, s. 11A.118(a); 2002-159, s. 51.)
§§ 153A-251 through 153A-254. Reserved for future codification purposes.
§ 153A-255. Authority to provide social service programs.
Each county shall provide social service programs pursuant to Chapter 108A and Chapter 111 and may otherwise undertake, sponsor, organize, engage in, and support other social service programs intended to further the health, welfare, education, employment, safety, comfort, and convenience of its citizens. (1868, c. 20, s. 8; Code, s. 707; Rev., s. 1318; C.S., s. 1297; 1973, c. 822, s. 1; 1981, c. 562, s. 12; 1997-443, s. 12.13.)
A county may establish, erect, acquire, lease as lessor or lessee, equip, support, operate, and maintain a county home for aged and infirm persons and may appropriate funds for these purposes.
The superintendent of each county home shall make an annual report on its operation to the board of commissioners of the county operating the home and to the Department of Health and Human Services. The report shall contain any information that the board of commissioners and the Department of Health and Human Services, respectively, require, and the Department may provide forms for this report. (1876-7, c. 277, s. 3; Code, ss. 3541, 3543; 1891, c. 138; Rev., ss. 1328, 1329; 1919, c. 72; C.S., ss. 1336, 1337, 1338; 1961, c. 139, s. 1; 1973, c. 476, s. 138; c. 822, s. 1; 1997-443, s. 11A.118(a).)
§ 153A-257. Legal residence for social service purposes.
(a) Legal residence in a county determines which county is responsible (i) for financial support of a needy person who meets the eligibility requirements for a public assistance or medical care program offered by the county or (ii) for other social services required by the person.
Legal residence in a county is determined as follows:
(1) Except as modified below, a person has legal residence in the county in which he resides.
(2) If a person is in a hospital, mental institution, nursing home, boarding home, confinement facility, or similar institution or facility, he does not, solely because of that fact, have legal residence in the county in which the institution or facility is located.
(3) A minor has the legal residence of the parent or other relative with whom he resides. If the minor does not reside with a parent or relative and is not in a foster home, hospital, mental institution, nursing home, boarding home, educational institution, confinement facility, or similar institution or facility, he has the legal residence of the person with whom he resides. Any other minor has the legal residence of his mother, or if her residence is not known then the legal residence of his father; if his mother's or father's residence is not known, the minor is a legal resident of the county in which he is found.
(b) A legal residence continues until a new one is acquired, either within or outside this State. When a new legal residence is acquired, all former legal residences terminate.
(c) This section is intended to replace the law defining "legal settlement." Therefore any general law or local act that refers to "legal settlement" is deemed to refer to this section and the rules contained herein.
(d) If two or more county departments of social services disagree regarding the legal residence of a minor in a child abuse, neglect, or dependency case, any one of the county departments of social services may refer the issue to the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Social Services, for resolution. The Director of the Division of Social Services or the Director's designee shall review the pertinent background facts of the case and shall determine which county department of social services shall be responsible for providing protective services and financial support for the minor in question. (1777, c. 117, s. 16, P.R.; R.C., c. 86, s. 12; Code, s. 3544; Rev., s. 1333; C.S., s. 1342; 1931, c. 120; 1943, c. 753, s. 2; 1959, c. 272; 1973, c. 822, s. 1; 2003-304, s. 7.)
§ 153A-258. Reserved for future codification purposes.
§ 153A-259. Counties authorized to contract with other entities for health and social services.
A county is authorized to contract with any governmental agency, person, association, or corporation for the provision of health or social services provided that the expenditure of funds pursuant to such contracts shall be for the purpose for which the funds were appropriated and is not otherwise prohibited by law. (1979, 2nd Sess., c. 1094, s. 2.)