Legislative Findings

[The Guam Legislature] finds that:

(a)the government must do more to protect the health, safety and general well being of its citizens;

(b)new and emerging dangers, including emergent and resurgent infectious diseases and incidents of civilian mass casualties, pose serious and immediate threats; COL9/7/2021 CH. 19 EMERGENCY HEALTH POWERS

(c)a renewed focus on the prevention, detection, management and containment of public health emergencies is needed;

(d)emergency health threats, including those caused by bioterrorism, may require the exercise of extraordinary government powers and functions;

(e)the government of Guam must have the ability to respond, rapidly and effectively, to potential or actual public health emergencies;

(f)the exercise of emergency health powers must promote the common good;

(g)emergency health powers must be grounded in a thorough scientific understanding of public health threats and disease transmission;

(h)guided by principles of justice and antidiscrimination, it is the duty of the government of Guam to act with fairness and tolerance towards individuals and groups;

(i)the rights of People to liberty, bodily integrity and privacy must be respected to the fullest extent possible, consistent with maintaining and preserving the public=s health and security; and

(j)this Chapter is necessary to protect the health and safety of the citizens of Guam.