A. The Louisiana Department of Health is created and shall be a body corporate with the power to sue and be sued. The domicile of the department shall be in Baton Rouge where it shall maintain its principal offices, but the secretary may maintain branch offices if he deems it in the best interest of the efficient administration of the department; however, the principal offices of the office of public health may be located and maintained in the parish of Orleans.

            B. The Louisiana Department of Health, through its offices and officers, shall be responsible for the development and providing of health and medical services for the prevention of disease for the citizens of Louisiana. The Louisiana Department of Health shall provide health and medical services for the uninsured and medically indigent citizens of Louisiana. The secretary and the chancellor of the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center shall provide for coordination in the delivery of services provided by the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center with those services provided by the Louisiana Department of Health, local health departments, and federally qualified health centers, including but not limited to the following:

            (1) Services for any of the following persons:

            (a) Persons with mental illness.

            (b) Persons with intellectual disabilities.

            (c) Persons with developmental disabilities.

            (d) Persons with addictive disorders.

            (2) Public health services.

            (3) Services provided under the medical assistance program (Medicaid).

            C.(1) The Louisiana Department of Health shall be composed of the executive office of the secretary, the office of management and finance, the office of public health, the office of behavioral health, the office for citizens with developmental disabilities, the office of aging and adult services, the office on women’s health and community health, and such other offices as shall be created by law.

            (2) Whenever the secretary determines that the administration of the functions of the department may be more efficiently performed by eliminating, merging, or consolidating existing offices or establishing new offices, he shall present a plan therefor to the legislature for its approval by statute.

            Acts 1976, No. 513, §1; Acts 1977, No. 83, §1, eff. June 22, 1977; Acts 1977, No. 681, §1; Acts 1978, No. 786, §4, eff. July 17, 1978; Acts 1979, No. 449, §3, eff. Jan. 1, 1980; Acts 1983, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 13, §1, eff. July 1, 1983; Acts 1983, No. 659, §2; Acts 1984, No. 899, §1, eff. July 1, 1984; Acts 1984, No. 187, §1; Acts 1987, No. 736, §1; Acts 1988, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 1, §2, eff. Mar. 28, 1988; Acts 1988, No. 772, §2, eff. July 17, 1988; Acts 1988, No. 858, §2, eff. July 18, 1988; Acts 1989, No. 140, §1, eff. June 22, 1989; Acts 1989, No. 159, §2; Acts 1990, No. 855, §1; Acts 1991, No. 390, §1, eff. not later than Jan. 1, 1992.*; Acts 1992, No. 571, §1, eff. July 1, 1992; Acts 1993, No. 712, §2, eff. June 21, 1993; Acts 1997, No. 3, §3, eff. July 1, 1997; Acts 1999, No. 339, §2; Acts 1999, No. 802, §3, eff. July 2, 1999; Acts 2006, No. 465, §2, eff. June 15, 2006; Acts 2009, No. 384, §3, eff. July 1, 2010; Acts 2014, No. 811, §18, eff. June 23, 2014; Acts 2016, No. 300, §1, eff. June 2, 2016; Acts 2022, No. 676, §1, eff. June 18, 2022.