Emergency Preparedness

The Public Health Emergency Preparedness Clearinghouse is a central repository for emergency preparedness-related statutes, regulations, orders, reports, and legal tools. The Clearinghouse is intended to aid jurisdictions considering updates and clarifications to their public health emergency legal preparedness activities.

Model Memorandums of Understanding

• Selected Model Memorandums of Understanding
  Selected examples are provided to enhance coordination of preparedness across sectors.

Public Health Law Bench Books

• Bench books
  Commonly used by judges as functional practice guides to accelerate their understanding of an area of law.  States have public health law bench books for the judiciary; public health officials; state and local public health attorneys; and the public.

Toolkits, Handbooks, and Menus

• Legal Barriers Toolkits
  Toolkits to help public health officials understand and use legal authorities to prepare for and respond to public health emergencies. They cover emergency authorities and immunities, emergency use authorizations, public health and schools, and scope of practice issues. Developed by the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials and the Public Health Law Program.

• Selected Federal Legal Authorities Pertinent to Public Health Emergencies [PDF - 150KB]
  Lists federal laws that address preparing for and responding to a range of natural and man-made disasters and emergencies. The list includes a brief description of the law and a citation.

• Social Distancing Law Assessment Template
  A standardized template for assessing legal authorities, hypothetical scenario and instructions for conducting a Legal Consultation Meeting, and examples of completed documents.
• Court House Preparedness for Public Health Emergencies (Univ. of Pittsburgh) [PDF-852KB]
  A case study demonstrating how Pennsylvania counties have conducted emergency planning that includes a planning template and planning resources.
• Criminal and Epidemiological Investigations Handbook [PDF-12.4MB]
  Provides an overview of criminal and epidemiological investigation procedures involving interactions between law enforcement and public health. Law enforcement and public health officials should read the entire handbook to understand the different goals and needs of the other organization before an event occurs. This handbook will teach public health and law enforcement how to work together to identify the biological agent, prevent the spread of the disease, avoid public panic, and apprehend those responsible.

Training and Educational Resources

• Legal Preparedness for Public Health Emergencies: A Model for Minimum Competencies for Mid-Tier Public Health Professionals [PDF - 363KB]
  Presents a model set of Minimum Competencies in Public Health Emergency Law for mid-tier public health professionals to advance the inclusion of law-based content in all public health emergency training, resources, and tools. Developed at the request of CDC’s Office of Public Health Preparedness and Emergency Response and the Association of Schools of Public Health.
• Public Health and the Law: An Emergency Preparedness Training Kit
  Training kit to prepare public health practitioners, their legal counsel, and other partners to understand and effectively address changes in the legal environment as a result of an emergency. Published by the National Association of County and City Health Officials and the Public Health Law Program.
• Forensic Epidemiology 3.0
  Training package designed to help public health and law enforcement agencies strengthen their coordinated response to pandemic influenza and similar disease outbreaks.
• Public Health Emergency Law 3.0
  Training to help public health practitioners and emergency management professionals improve their understanding of the role of law in public health emergency response. 
• Suggested Communicable Disease Vignettes (California Department of Health Services) [PDF-44KB]
  Intended to train users to describe communicable disease scenarios that are disruptive to safe court operations, identify health benefits of various precaution methods, and define factors that result in infectious disease transmission.

Vulnerable Populations

• Older Adult Emergency Preparedness Web Portal
  A web portal that serves as a one-stop source for further resources, tools, and information related to all-hazards preparedness for older adults. Focus areas include developing plans, collecting and using data, registries, training and competency, law-based solutions, caregiver preparedness, and sheltering older adults.