PHF E-NEWS Original date: 7-30-02 Subject: States Use Model Emergency Health Powers Act 35 States Introduce New Legislation To Help Protect Public from Bioterrorism www.publichealthlaw.net/Resources/Modellaws.htm   In just six months, 35 states and the District of Columbia introduced legislative bills or resolutions based in whole or part on a Model Act created by the Center for Law and the Public's Health at Georgetown and Johns Hopkins Universities. To date, 17 states and D.C. have passed their legislative versions of the Act.  The Center drafted the Model State Emergency Health Powers Act in December 2001 in response to the events of September 11th and subsequent bioterrorist threats.  State and local authorities can use the Model Act as a starting point to help define legal powers in the case of a public health emergency. The Center for Law and the Public's Health is a national resource for public health law, ethics, and policy for public health practitioners, lawyers, legislators, policy-makers, and others.  Based at Georgetown and Johns Hopkins Universities, the Center was founded in October 2000 with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Public Health Practice Program Office <Retired link> [For more current information, visit www.cdc.gov].  The Public Health Foundation is a Center partner. State lawmakers and legislators interested in introducing the Model State Emergency Powers Act may contact James Hodge, J.D., LL.M., Project Director, for technical assistance via e-mail at jhodge@jhsph.edu.  Others interested in how states have adopted the Model Act are encouraged to visit the Center's web site at www.publichealthlaw.net/Resources/Modellaws.htm. For more online resources and tools related to the Essential Public Health Service, "Enforce laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety," <Retired link> [For more current information, visit www.phf.org/nphpsp/]. Back to E-News Main Page PHF Home Page Updated 9-17-06