135.144 - ADDITIONAL DUTIES OF THE DEPARTMENT RELATED TO A PUBLIC HEALTH DISASTER.

        135.144  ADDITIONAL DUTIES OF THE DEPARTMENT RELATED
      TO A PUBLIC HEALTH DISASTER.
         If a public health disaster exists, the department, in conjunction
      with the governor, may do any of the following:
         1.  Decontaminate or cause to be decontaminated, to the extent
      reasonable and necessary to address the public health disaster, any
      facility or material if there is cause to believe the contaminated
      facility or material may endanger the public health.
         2.  Adopt and enforce measures to provide for the identification
      and safe disposal of human remains, including performance of
      postmortem examinations, transportation, embalming, burial,
      cremation, interment, disinterment, and other disposal of human
      remains.  To the extent possible, religious, cultural, family, and
      individual beliefs of the deceased person or the deceased person's
      family shall be considered when disposing of any human remains.
         3.  Take reasonable measures as necessary to prevent the
      transmission of infectious disease and to ensure that all cases of
      communicable disease are properly identified, controlled, and
      treated.
         4.  Take reasonable measures as necessary to ensure that all cases
      of chemical, biological, and radiological contamination are properly
      identified, controlled, and treated.
         5.  Order physical examinations and tests and collect specimens as
      necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of individuals, to be
      performed by any qualified person authorized to do so by the
      department.  An examination or test shall not be performed or ordered
      if the examination or test is reasonably likely to lead to serious
      harm to the affected individual.  The department may isolate or
      quarantine, pursuant to chapter 139A and the rules implementing
      chapter 139A and this division of this chapter, any individual whose
      refusal of medical examination or testing results in uncertainty
      regarding whether the individual has been exposed to or is infected
      with a communicable or potentially communicable disease or otherwise
      poses a danger to public health.
         6.  Vaccinate or order that individuals be vaccinated against an
      infectious disease and to prevent the spread of communicable or
      potentially communicable disease.  Vaccinations shall be administered
      by any qualified person authorized to do so by the department.  The
      vaccination shall not be provided or ordered if it is reasonably
      likely to lead to serious harm to the affected individual.  To
      prevent the spread of communicable or potentially communicable
      disease, the department may isolate or quarantine, pursuant to
      chapter 139A and the rules implementing chapter 139A and this
      division of this chapter, any person who is unable or unwilling to
      undergo vaccination pursuant to this subsection.
         7.  Treat or order that individuals exposed to or infected with
      disease receive treatment or prophylaxis.  Treatment or prophylaxis
      shall be administered by any qualified person authorized to do so by
      the department.  Treatment or prophylaxis shall not be provided or
      ordered if the treatment or prophylaxis is reasonably likely to lead
      to serious harm to the affected individual.  To prevent the spread of
      communicable or potentially communicable disease, the department may
      isolate or quarantine, pursuant to chapter 139A and the rules
      implementing chapter 139A and this division of this chapter, any
      individual who is unable or unwilling to undergo treatment or
      prophylaxis pursuant to this section.
         8.  Isolate or quarantine individuals or groups of individuals
      pursuant to chapter 139A and the rules implementing chapter 139A and
      this division of this chapter.
         9.  Inform the public when a public health disaster has been
      declared or terminated, about protective measures to take during the
      disaster, and about actions being taken to control the disaster.
         10.  Accept grants and loans from the federal government pursuant
      to section 29C.6 or available provisions of federal law.
         11.  If a public health disaster or other public health emergency
      situation exists which poses an imminent threat to the public health,
      safety, and welfare, the department, in conjunction with the
      governor, may provide financial assistance, from funds appropriated
      to the department that are not otherwise encumbered, to political
      subdivisions as needed to alleviate the disaster or the emergency.
      If the department does not have sufficient unencumbered funds, the
      governor may request that the executive council, pursuant to the
      authority of section 7D.29, commit sufficient funds, up to one
      million dollars, that are not otherwise encumbered from the general
      fund, as needed and available, for the disaster or the emergency.  If
      additional financial assistance is required in excess of one million
      dollars, approval by the legislative council is also required.
         12.  Temporarily reassign department employees for purposes of
      response and recovery efforts, to the extent such employees consent
      to the reassignments.  
         Section History: Recent Form
         2003 Acts, ch 33, §5, 11; 2003 Acts, ch 179, §65; 2004 Acts, ch
      1097, §1; 2005 Acts, ch 19, §32; 2009 Acts, ch 37, §9