(1)(a) The Public Health Director or a local public health administrator may require testing or medical examination of any person who may have, or may have been exposed to, a communicable disease identified by rule of the Department of Human Services to be a reportable disease, a new or uncommon disease of potential public health significance, or a condition that is the basis of a state of public health emergency declared by the Governor as authorized by ORS 433.441. The Public Health Director or the local public health administrator must issue a written order for testing or medical examination pursuant to this section.
(b) A written order must:
(A) Include findings stating the communicable disease that the Public Health Director or the local public health administrator believes the person has and the reasons for that belief.
(B) State whether medical or laboratory confirmation of the disease is feasible and possible and whether such confirmation would enable control measures to be taken to minimize infection of others with the disease.
(C) Include a statement that the person may refuse to submit to the testing or medical examination and that if the testing or examination is refused, the Public Health Director or the local public health administrator may seek the imposition of a public health measure, including isolation or quarantine pursuant to ORS 433.121 or 433.123.
(2) When a person is directed to submit to a test or examination under this section and the person agrees to do so, the person shall submit to any testing or examination as may be necessary to establish the presence or absence of the communicable disease for which the testing or examination was directed. The examination shall be carried out by the local health officer or a physician licensed by the Oregon Medical Board or the Board of Naturopathic Examiners. A written report of the results of the test or examination shall be provided to the person ordering the test or examination, and upon request, to the person tested or examined. Laboratory examinations, if any, shall be carried out by the laboratory of the department whenever the examinations are within the scope of the tests conducted by the laboratory. If treatment is needed, the person or the parent or guardian of the person shall be liable for the costs of treatment based on the examination carried out under this section, if the person liable is able to pay the treatment costs. Cost of any examination performed by a physician in private practice shall be paid from public funds available to the local public health administrator, if any, or from county funds available for general governmental expenses in the county that the local public health administrator serves or in the county where the person tested or examined resides if the local public health administrator serves more than one county or the test or examination was ordered by the Public Health Director or local public health administrator.
(3) If a person has a communicable disease, a new or uncommon disease of potential public health significance, or a condition that is the basis of a state of public health emergency, the Public Health Director or the local public health administrator may issue an order requiring the person to complete an appropriate prescribed course of medication or other treatment for the communicable disease, including directly observed therapy if appropriate, and to follow infection control provisions for the disease. The order shall also include statements that the person may refuse the medication or other treatment and that the person’s failure to comply with the order issued under this subsection may result in the Public Health Director or the local public health administrator seeking the imposition of a public health measure, including isolation or quarantine as authorized by ORS 433.121 and 433.123.
(4) The Public Health Director or the local public health administrator must make every effort to obtain voluntary compliance from a person for any testing, medical examination and treatment required under this section.
(5) Any action taken by the Public Health Director or the local public health administrator under this section to compel testing, medical examination or treatment of a person who has a communicable disease, a new or uncommon disease of potential public health significance, or a condition that is the basis of a state of public health emergency must be the least restrictive alternative available to accomplish the results necessary to minimize the transmission of the disease to others. [1967 c.617 §1 (enacted in lieu of 434.060); 1973 c.259 §7; 1979 c.731 §6; 1987 c.600 §6; 1989 c.224 §87; 2003 c.14 §244; 2003 c.555 §9; 2007 c.445 §18]
Section: Previous 433.012 433.015 433.017 433.019 433.020 433.022 433.025 433.035 433.040 433.045 433.055 433.060 433.065 433.070 433.075 NextLast modified: August 7, 2008