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| To direct the General Assembly in its deliberations | 1 |
| regarding bioterrorism. | 2 |
| Section 1. In recognition of the potential use of biological | 3 |
| agents to cause the spread of disease among the citizens of this | 4 |
| state, the General Assembly shall conduct deliberations on | 5 |
| measures to protect the health and safety of the public during | 6 |
| events of bioterrorism and to enhance the ability of state and | 7 |
| local government entities to provide timely and appropriate | 8 |
| responses. In conducting its deliberations, the General Assembly | 9 |
| may consider any of the following: | 10 |
| (A) The extent to which existing statutes enable state and | 11 |
| local public health agencies and officials to prepare for and | 12 |
| respond swiftly to bioterrorism; | 13 |
| (B) The division, consolidation, and coordination of | 14 |
| jurisdictions among the state and local government entities that | 15 |
| may be involved in responding to bioterrorism, including such | 16 |
| entities as public health agencies, law enforcement agencies, | 17 |
| emergency management agencies, and agencies with jurisdiction over | 18 |
| agriculture and the environment; | 19 |
| (C) The authority of state and local government entities to | 20 |
| cooperate and share information in their response to bioterrorism; | 21 |
| (D) The modification and creation of disease reporting | 22 |
| systems that aid in the rapid identification of bioterrorism; | 23 |
| (E) The standards and procedures to be followed in | 24 |
| maintaining the confidentiality of personally identifiable health | 25 |
| information that may be obtained by government entities involved | 26 |
| in responding to bioterrorism; | 27 |
| (F) The modification and creation of programs to assess the | 28 |
| preparedness of health care facilities and practitioners to | 29 |
| respond to bioterrorism; | 30 |
| (G) The modification and creation of programs for the | 31 |
| maintenance and distribution of vaccines, immunizing agents, or | 32 |
| other health care supplies; | 33 |
| (H) The relationship between the rights of individuals and | 34 |
| the emergency health powers that state and local government | 35 |
| entities may possess or be granted; | 36 |
| (I) Other matters the General Assembly considers relevant to | 37 |
| the prevention, detection, and management of public health | 38 |
| emergencies resulting from bioterrorism. | 39 |