§ 63-6103. Purposes.

The purposes of the Catastrophic Health Emergency Powers Act are:

1.  To require the development of a comprehensive plan to provide for a coordinated, appropriate response in the event of a catastrophic health emergency;

2.  To authorize the reporting and collection of data and records, the management of property, the protection of persons, and access to communications during a catastrophic health emergency;

3.  To facilitate the early detection of a catastrophic health emergency, and allow for immediate investigation of such a catastrophic health emergency by granting access to health information of individuals under specified circumstances;

4.  To grant state and local officials the authority during a catastrophic health emergency to provide care, treatment, and vaccination to persons who are ill or who have been exposed to transmissible diseases, and to separate affected individuals from the population at large to interrupt disease transmission;

5.  To ensure during a catastrophic health emergency that the needs of infected or exposed persons are properly addressed to the fullest extent possible, given the primary goal of controlling serious health threats; and

6.  To provide, during a catastrophic health emergency, state and local officials with the ability to prevent, detect, manage, and contain health threats without unduly interfering with civil rights and liberties.

Added by Laws 2003, c. 473, § 3.