Article 5. Municipal And County Laboratories of California Health And Safety Code >> Division 101. >> Part 3. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 5.

For the purpose of protecting the community and the public health, the local health department of a city or county shall have available the services of a public health laboratory for the examination of specimens from suspected cases of infectious and environmental diseases, that may include, but need not be limited to, the examination of specimens from milk, milk products, waters, food products, vectors, and the environment. The public health laboratory shall also provide the analyses required to assist in community disease surveillance and to meet the responsibilities and support the programs of the local health department.

The cost of establishment and maintenance of the public health laboratory is a legal expenditure from any city or county funds that are for disbursement under the direction of the city or county health officer to protect public health.

(a) Any city or county public health laboratory established for the purposes set forth in this chapter and its personnel shall be approved by the State Department of Health Services and shall comply with the requirements of CLIA.
  (b) For purposes of this section, "CLIA" means the federal Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 263a; P.L. 100-578) and the regulations adopted thereunder by the federal Health Care Financing Administration and effective on January 1, 1994, or any later date, when adopted in California pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 1208 of the Business and Professions Code.

Nothing in this article, or any other provision of law, shall be construed to restrict, limit, or prevent individuals certified under authority of this part or Article 1 (commencing with Section 106600) of Chapter 4 of Part 1 of Division 104 from performing their duties for the protection of the public health.