Darlene Huang Briggs

Attend this webinar to hear from public health colleagues about the spectrum of efforts across local governmental public health to improve their legal authority to advance the public’s health and health equity. These efforts span years, and in some cases, were activated or accelerated following either the murder of George Floyd or the increased backlash against fundamental public health authorities and services during the COVID-19 pandemic, or both.

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, Network attorneys and staff have identified six key policies with the potential to significantly improve mental health outcomes across the United States. This policy brief covers a wide range of areas focused on communities and those who work to support communities. It is designed as a practical resource for public health professionals, leaders, and partners, offering strategies to enhance mental health and well-being while reducing disparities in mental health care.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has assessed the current risk of avian flu to the general public as low. However, the CDC, in collaboration with federal, state, and local partners, continues to monitor and assess the risk to human health. This Q&A provides answers to basic questions about who is doing what in response to the outbreak of Avian Influenza in the U.S. and includes a basic overview of the current situation and overall public health risk.  

When a judge hears a case involving an agency’s interpretation of a statute, they defer to a qualified party—typically a state or federal agency—for their technical subject matter expertise in interpreting that statute. However, there has been a movement to pass legislation disallowing this practice. While these efforts do not target public health by name, they do make it harder for all agencies to implement needed rules and policies in the future–including state and local health agencies.

Judicial deference is a legal principle that has historically respected the knowledge and experience of governmental public health actors, including public health agencies. However, recent attempts to dismantle judicial deference could have a negative impact on health departments without explicitly targeting public health. This fact sheet introduces the concept of judicial deference and its role in health agency administrative decision-making.

The federal and state vaccination requirements that prevented infection and death for millions of people in the U.S during the pandemic have also led to legislation and litigation limiting governmental authority to impose these life-saving public health measures. This webinar will explore recent legislative and judicial trends related to vaccine law and policy, including the expansion of non-medical exemptions and shifts in the authority to impose vaccination requirements, especially for school attendance. Speakers will also discuss vaccination measures that have been enacted to slow the transmission of COVID-19, such as more equitable vaccine access through expanded scope of practice laws for qualified providers to administer vaccinations. The webinar will also provide a glimpse inside the legislative experience of public health advocates in one state given the changed vaccination policy landscape.

The backlash in response to public health measures taken during the pandemic has resulted in many states passing laws restricting the ability of public health to take action to protect the health of their communities. However, there are many states that have taken innovative actions that strengthen public health authority and provide mechanisms that support a strong public health infrastructure.

by Overview March 30, 2023 | 1 – 2:30 p.m. ESTIn the wake of perceived overreaches and threats to individual freedoms during the…