A. The administrative head of the department of health is the "secretary of health", who shall be appointed by the governor with the consent of the senate and who shall serve in the executive cabinet.
B. An appointed secretary shall serve and have all of the duties, responsibilities and authority of that office during the period of time prior to final action by the senate confirming or rejecting his appointment.
History: 1978 Comp., § 9-7-5, enacted by Laws 1977, ch. 253, § 6; 1991, ch. 25, § 17.
ANNOTATIONSCross references. — For executive cabinet, see 9-1-3 NMSA 1978.
For appointment and removal power of governor, see N.M. Const., art. V, § 5.
The 1991 amendment, effective March 29, 1991, deleted "and environment" following "health" in the catchline and in Subsection A and substituted "department of health" for "health and environment department" in Subsection A.