A Public Health Law Advisory

CRS has a new report on quarantine and isolation measures. (available here) Key points:

1. "The law at the intersection of public health and bioterrorism is extremely unsettled."

2. Many state's quarantine laws are hopelessly out of date. A Model Act drafted by Georgetown's health law center and Johns Hopkins provides an attractive modern alternative.

3. President Bush seeks authority to use the military for quarantine enforcement during a pandemic. There's some argument that the Insurrection Act may provide existing authority for this.

Let's hope we get this straightened out before we really need it.