(a) The commissioner shall be responsible for planning state-wide programs for the control and treatment of lung diseases; the treatment of persons affected with other chronic illness, and the medical rehabilitation of persons who are chronically ill and persons with disabilities. The commissioner may provide and maintain facilities and personnel for the diagnosis or detection and treatment of such diseases or enter into contracts for the provision of diagnostic and treatment programs for such diseases with persons or organizations capable in the commissioner’s judgment of providing such services.

(b) The commissioner shall be responsible for the administration of the department’s programs as they relate to lung disease, other chronic illness and medical rehabilitation.

(1959, P.A. 148, S. 11, 12; 1972, P.A. 113, S. 3; P.A. 76-139, S. 2; P.A. 77-614, S. 323, 343, 610; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 05-80, S. 2; P.A. 17-202, S. 66.)

History: 1972 act replaced office of tuberculosis control, hospital care and rehabilitation with office of public health and replaced provisions re appointment and qualifications of deputy commissioner of the former office with statement of duties of deputy commissioner for public health; P.A. 76-139 replaced references to tuberculosis with more general phrase “lung disease”, deleted provision specifically applicable to tuberculosis program with general statement of duty to maintain programs for lung diseases and removed provision excluding hospitals for the mentally retarded from consideration as “chronic disease hospitals”; P.A. 77-614 transferred responsibilities of office and deputy commissioner of public health and of council on tuberculosis control, hospital care and rehabilitation to commissioner and replaced commissioner and department of health with commissioner and department of health services, effective January 1, 1979; Sec. 19-4a transferred to Sec. 19a-6 in 1983; P.A. 93-381 replaced department of health services with department of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 05-80 amended Subsec. (a) to allow, rather than require, commissioner to provide and maintain facilities and personnel and to make a technical change, and amended Subsec. (b) by removing language requiring commissioner to administer and operate chronic disease hospitals and definitions of “chronic illness”, “chronic disease hospital” and “medical rehabilitation”; P.A. 17-202 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “chronically ill, physically disabled and handicapped persons” with “persons who are chronically ill and persons with disabilities”.