Government Publications and links to government sites

Terrorism and Bioterrorism Resources

Smallpox Information Project, including a review and critique of the CDC's mass immunization plan.

The Use of Fear in Public Health - an article on federal government's authority to deal with bioterrorism.

Collaboration between Public Health and Law Enforcement - an article from the Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal on the importance of advance planning between police and public health officials.

US Supreme Court Cases on Administrative Searches

Review of the Model State Emergency Health Powers Act - These are comments by Dr. Katharine C. Rathbun, M.D., M.P.H., who is a board certified public health physician with extensive experience as a city and county health director, and myself.  Please address any comment to me, Edward P. Richards, richards@lsu.edu. The Model State Emergency Health Powers Act - As of October 23, 2001 (as revised Dec. 21, 2001) - this is the proposal to modify state public health laws to give new powers to state health officials. Model Public Health Law - this is brought you by the same folks who did the Model State Emergency Health Powers Act and has the same problem that one size does not fit all states.

Martial Law

Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy - an excellent resource on bioterrorism agents and general information about infectious diseases and food safety.

Homeland Security Agency and Act

ABA - A Checklist For State And Local Government Attorneys To Prepare For Possible Disasters

General List of Documents

Presidential Orders

Government Publications - and useful links to government sites.

NY Anti-Terrorism Law - S70002

Cases

Police Powers /  Governmental Immunity / Public Health Reporting and Testing / Administrative Law / Inspections and Searches / Privacy- These pages link to cases that deal government powers and the right to protect the public health and safety.

Articles on Bioterrorism and Police Power Authority

"Collaboration between Public Health and Law Enforcement: The Constitutional Challenge," Emerging Infectious Diseases, Vol. 8, No. 10, p.1157-1159 (October 2002)

Bioterrorism and the Use of Fear in Public Health, 34 THE URBAN LAWYER 686 (2002) - This article discusses the allocation of power between the state and federal government and the matrix of laws governing the management of bioterrorism.

Bioterrorism and the Use of Fear in Public Health - This essay discusses some of the political issues raised by using bioterrorism concerns to strengthen routine public health resources.

THE JURISPRUDENCE OF PREVENTION- THE RIGHT OF SOCIETAL SELF-DEFENSE - This article discusses the rights of society to protect itself and how this must be balanced with the rights of the individual under the Constitution.  While written about public health threats, the rationale and case law also applies to terrorism and other threats to public order.

Introduction to Public Health Law