The initial public health emergency proposal was drafted by the CDC in 1999 . Still in the CDC 's draft form , Lawrence O. Gostin , an attorney and professor at Georgetown University in Washington , D.C. began reworking the document during the anthrax letter attacks in 2001 , using funds provided by the CDC . Gostin 's produced a preliminary draft on October 23 , before releasing a second draft in December 2001 . Gostin stated that it took him three to four weeks to prepare the act
anthrax letter attacks
2001 anthrax attacks
Model State Emergency Health Powers Act