Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #110332

Brian Kamoie, JD, MPH, Department of Health Policy, School of Public Health and Health Services, George Washington University, 2021 K Street, NW, Suite 800, Wasington, DC 20006, 202-530-2308, kamoie@gwu.edu

In Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD)-5, the President directed the development of a new National Response Plan (NRP) to align Federal coordination structures, capabilities, and resources into a unified, all discipline, and all-hazards approach to domestic incident management. On January 6, 2005, Secretary Tom Ridge of the Department of Homeland Security announced the completion of the NRP. The NRP addresses the prevention of, preparedness for, response to, and recovery from terrorism, major natural disasters, and other major emergencies. Two Annexes of the NRP are particularly relevant to bioterrorism: Emergency Support Function 8 (Public Health and Medical Services) and the Biological Incident Annex. These Annexes describe specialized application of the NRP to the delivery of public health and medical services and biological incidents. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the coordinating agency for these components of the NRP. This presentation will outline the NRP's approach to bioterrorism and identify critical legal issues involved in bioterrorism preparedness and response. The presentation will also address the interaction between the public health/medical response and the law enforcement/criminal investigative approach to bioterrorism and how these facets work together.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the learner will be able to

• Articulate the new National Response Plan's approach to bioterrorism.
• Reocgnize critical issues in the relationship between the public health and criminal investigative components of bioterrorism response.
• Idenitfy and evaluate the legal issues implicated by bioterrorism under the National Response Plan.

Keywords: Bioterrorism, Health Law

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.