The CDC¿s Communicable Disease Regulations: Striking the Balance Between Public Health & Individual Rights

On January 19, 2017, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a final rule to update regulations administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) relating to the control of communicable diseases at 42 C.F.R part 70 (interstate) and part 71 (foreign). The final rule significantly enhances the CDC¿s previous regulations that were largely silent regarding procedures for federal isolation, quarantine, and conditional release, and thus lacked transparency regarding the rights and remedies of individuals subject to these actions. The newly revised communicable disease regulations are consistent with the CDC¿s governing statutory authority, principles of federalism, and constitutional protections afforded to individuals under the Fourth and Fifth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. This Article provides an overview of the newly revised regulations and explains how these regulations are designed to protect the public¿s health while safeguarding the constitutional rights of individuals subject to federal public health actions