§ 23-07.4-02 — Emergency public health procedures

North Dakota § 23-07.4-02

• Jurisdiction: North Dakota
• Title 23: Health and Safety
• Ch. 23-07.4: Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection Health Procedures

Text

1. When the procedures under section 23-07.4-01 have been exhausted or cannot be
satisfied and the state health officer or designee knows or has reason to believe,
because of medical or epidemiological information, that a person within that official's
jurisdiction has human immunodeficiency virus infection and that the person continues
to engage in behavior that presents an imminent danger to the public health, the state
health officer or designee may bring an action in the district court serving the county in
which the person resides to enjoin the person from engaging in or continuing to
engage in such behavior. The state health officer or designee shall request the state's
attorney to file the action in district court.
2. In addition to issuance of an injunction order requested under subsection 1, the court
may issue other appropriate orders including an order to take the person into custody,
for a period not to exceed ninety days and place the person in a facility designated or
approved by the state health officer. A custody order issued for the purpose of
counseling and testing to determine whether the person has human immunodeficiency
virus infection must provide for the immediate release from custody and from the
facility for any person whose confirmed test results are negative and may provide for
counseling or other appropriate measures to be imposed on any person whose
confirmed test results are positive. The person who is the subject of the order must be
given prompt, personal, and confidential notice of the order stating the grounds and
provisions of the order and notifying the person of the right to contest the order, the
right to be present at a judicial hearing in the district court serving the county in which
the person resides to review the order, and the right to be represented by counsel
during the hearing. If the person contests testing or treatment, no invasive medical
procedures may be carried out before a hearing is held under subsection 3.
3. Any order issued by the district court under subsection 2 is subject to review in a court
hearing. Prompt, personal, and confidential notice of the place, date, and time of the
court hearing and of the person's right to be present at the hearing and the right to
representation by counsel during the hearing must be given to the person who is the
subject of the court order. The hearing must be conducted by the court within
forty-eight hours after the order is issued. The burden of proof is on the state health
officer or designee to show by clear and convincing evidence that grounds exist for the
order issued by the court under subsection 2 and that the terms and conditions
imposed in the order are no more restrictive than necessary to protect the public
health. Upon conclusion of the hearing, the court shall issue appropriate orders
affirming, modifying, or dismissing the order. If the court dismisses the order, the fact
that the order was issued must be expunged from the records of the department of
health and human services. If the court affirms or modifies the order and the person
subject to the order is infected with the human immunodeficiency virus, the court shall

require the person to disclose the names and addresses, if known, of persons with
whom the person subject to the order has had contact that poses an epidemiologically
demonstrated risk of transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus. Failure to
comply with court-ordered disclosure constitutes contempt of court.
4. A person who is the subject of an order authorized under this section is entitled to
representation by legal counsel during any hearing to review the issuance of the order.