In her role as Deputy Director, Climate and Health, Betsy Lawton works on a variety of public health law issues, bringing a community lawyering perspective to her work on climate change, health equity, broadband access, and rural public health. Before joining the Network, Betsy spent over a decade working to improve water quality and represented a broad range of individuals and communities facing water pollution problems. Betsy received her J.D., and a Certificate of Environmental Law, from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 2004 and her Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame.

Articles & Resources

­Laws Requiring Private Well Sampling and Disclosure of Results to Residential Tenants­

Fact SheetEnvironment, Climate and Health

June 27, 2025
by Betsy Lawton

While larger public water systems are regulated by the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, smaller wells, including private wells serving individual homes and rental properties are not. As natural disasters caused or exacerbated by climate change are on the rise, the one in eight Americans that rely on private wells for drinking water, largely in rural communities, should be aware of the potential health risks that flooding, storms, and wildfires pose for their drinking water. This resource details some statewide laws that require landlords to test water quality and disclose those results to tenants.

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­Statewide Laws to Protect Workers from Extreme Heat­

Fact SheetEnvironment, Climate and HealthInjury Prevention and Safety

June 27, 2025
by Betsy Lawton

Law and policy play a critical role in shaping health outcomes especially when it comes to racial health equity. While legislative actions and trends matter, it is also important to understand the role of the courts in altering legal landscapes in ways that can positively or negatively impact racial health disparities. This fact sheet highlights four 2023 U.S. Supreme Court cases with examples of how each potentially impacts racial health equity. It also provides a further examination of two cases of the cases that can be classified as wins for racial health equity.

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­Local Cooling Requirements to Protect Individuals from the Health Effects of Extreme Heat in Living Spaces

Fact SheetEnvironment, Climate and Health

June 27, 2025
by Betsy Lawton

While many states require heating equipment to be installed or minimum temperatures maintained in rental dwelling units, few, if any, states have implemented similar requirements to provide cooling equipment to be installed or temperatures be maintained to prevent people from suffering the health effects of extreme heat where they live.  As temperatures rise due to climate change, local cities and counties are considering ordinances to do just that. This resource summarizes some key features of selected local ordinances.

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Home Cooling Policies Can Combat Health Impacts of Extreme Heat, But Should Be Paired with Strategies to Reduce Unintended Consequences

Law & Policy InsightsEnvironment, Climate and HealthMechanisms for Advancing Health EquityMechanisms for Advancing Public Health

March 20, 2025
by Betsy Lawton

With mounting threats to indoor air quality, many public health practitioners and community leaders are looking for practical and legal strategies to improve indoor ventilation and filtration. In addition to the Model Clean Indoor Air Act, one practical strategy to make a quick and cost-effective improvement in indoor air quality – modifying box fans by adding air filters overcomes the barrier to access posed by the high cost of HEPA filters and commercial air purifiers.

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Opportunity to Promote Public Health for Workers Exposed to Extreme Heat

Law & Policy InsightsEnvironment, Climate and HealthMechanisms for Advancing Health EquityMental Health and Well-BeingEmergency Legal Preparedness and ResponseInjury Prevention and SafetyMechanisms for Advancing Public Health

October 3, 2024
by Betsy Lawton

Public health law plays a critical role in protecting communities from the current and future health threats posed by climate change. Based on their work with communities and public health professionals, the Network’s Climate and Health team has identified 10 public health law strategies to equitably prepare communities for the health impacts of climate change.

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­OSHA Proposed Rule Protecting Workers from Extreme Heat

Fact SheetEnvironment, Climate and HealthInjury Prevention and SafetyMechanisms for Advancing Health EquityMechanisms for Advancing Public HealthMental Health and Well-BeingEmergency Legal Preparedness and Response

October 3, 2024
by Betsy Lawton

Extreme heat is the number one cause of weather-related death in the United States. Indoor and outdoor workers are particularly at risk during extreme days. This resource outlines federal, state, and local legal and policy protections for indoor and outdoor workers; and barriers to protecting this workforce, including legal methods like preemption – a legal method used by a higher level of government to limit the authority of a lower level of government – that can be used by some to override existing or potential local protections.

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­Public Health and Drinking Water Quality: How State Laws Affect Responses to Water Quality Contamination in Private Wells

Fact SheetEnvironment, Climate and HealthClimate Change, Health and Equity (CCHE)

August 6, 2024
by Betsy Lawton

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in five private wells contain unhealthy levels of contaminants. While a landmark federal law, the Safe Drinking Water Act, generally protects individuals that use a public water supply from exposure to unsafe levels of regulated contaminants, there is no similar protection for U.S. residents who rely on private wells for water. State laws and policies requiring water quality testing of private wells vary both in scope and the extent to which that water quality data is made available to the public. This resource provides a sample of state laws that highlight key similarities and differences between water quality testing programs.

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­Law and Policy Considerations for Workforce Protections from Extreme Heat

Fact SheetEnvironment, Climate and HealthClimate Change, Health and Equity (CCHE)

July 24, 2024
by Betsy Lawton

Extreme heat is the number one cause of weather-related death in the United States. Indoor and outdoor workers are particularly at risk during extreme days. This resource outlines federal, state, and local legal and policy protections for indoor and outdoor workers; and barriers to protecting this workforce, including legal methods like preemption – a legal method used by a higher level of government to limit the authority of a lower level of government – that can be used by some to override existing or potential local protections.

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Public Health Law Strategies to Prevent and Reduce Human Health Impacts of Climate Change

Law & Policy InsightsEnvironment, Climate and HealthMechanisms for Advancing Health EquityMental Health and Well-BeingEmergency Legal Preparedness and Response

July 9, 2024
by Betsy Lawton and Jill Krueger

Public health law plays a critical role in protecting communities from the current and future health threats posed by climate change. Based on their work with communities and public health professionals, the Network’s Climate and Health team has identified 10 public health law strategies to equitably prepare communities for the health impacts of climate change.

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­State and Local Efforts to Declare Racism a Public Health Crisis – Northern Region Summary­

Issue BriefMechanisms for Advancing Health EquityRacism as a Public Health Crisis

July 9, 2024
by Betsy Lawton

This Issue Brief, part of a series of analyses looking at resolutions declaring racism a public health crisis in each region of the country, summarizes resolutions in the northern U.S. states of Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. This analysis focuses primarily on resolutions passed by state and local governments, including city councils, county boards, city and county executives, school boards, and boards of health.

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Well Water Quality Concerns Call for Increased Testing

Law & Policy InsightsEnvironment, Climate and HealthMechanisms for Advancing Health Equity

March 20, 2024
by Betsy Lawton

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in five private wells contain unhealthy levels of contaminants. Concerns over contaminated well water have only intensified given the impact on water quality from the increasing number of natural disasters due to climate change. The current state of private well water quality calls for law and policy interventions, particularly the implementation of laws governing water quality testing for private wells.

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Legal Strategies and Local Solutions to Equitably Mitigate the Health Impacts of Climate Change

WebinarsEnvironment, Climate and HealthMechanisms for Advancing Health Equity

February 21, 2024
by Betsy Lawton

While climate change requires mitigation efforts on a global scale, local mitigation and solutions for climate adaptation are equally critical to reduce the negative health outcomes and address the health threats posed by climate change. Attend this webinar to learn how climate change can be integrated into a health department’s core mission and work; and law and policy strategies to mitigate the adverse and inequitable health impacts.

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