Network Report Thursday, January 30, 2020 
We are pleased to announce the launch of our new Network for Public Health Law website. In addition to a new look and enhanced navigation, it has added functionality that makes it easier for you to search and access our many resources, learn about our current projects and initiatives, and connect with our law and policy experts. We invite you to take a tour of our new site!
Law and Policy Perspectives Overdose "Good Samaritan" Laws Should Protect, Not Punish In theory, overdose “Good Samaritan” laws are designed to encourage people to call for help in an overdose emergency by providing limited legal immunity to overdose victims and those who seek help for them. While research shows that these laws do reduce overdose deaths overall, most have provisions that can actually discourage people from seeking help. 
Many communities are facing decreases in tree populations, and are enacting policies to stem the loss and increase new tree canopy, including treating trees as infrastructure. Trees provide significant offsets to the effects of climate change by cooling the air around them, taking carbon dioxide out of the air and mitigating the threat of flooding — all of which are particularly impactful for low-income communities.
Resources Primer: Emergency Legal Preparedness & Novel Coronavirus The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating and has confirmed a growing number of cases of Wuhan Coronavirus in the United States. An outbreak of the respiratory illness began in Wuhan, China and the country reports more than 100 deaths and thousands of people sickened. This Primer provides key information on the public health emergency response to the Wuhan Coronavirus. 
Legality of Dispensing Naloxone to Minors in Maryland Maryland now permits naloxone to be prescribed and dispensed to individuals who are not themselves at risk of overdose but may be in a position to assist those who are, and provides for a statewide standing order that authorizes any Maryland-licensed pharmacist to dispense naloxone to “any individual” in the state. This fact sheet examines whether minors are included in the definition of “any individual” under the law. 
Data Privacy in School Nursing: Navigating the Complex Landscape of Data Privacy Laws (Part II) School nurses collect and are responsible for a vast amount of personal information related to students and their health. This fact sheet is designed to help school nurses understand what information they can share, when, and with whom in accordance with federal privacy laws, and is a follow-up to Data Privacy in School Nursing: Navigating the Complex Landscape of Data Privacy Laws (Part I). It continues where that document left off by addressing additional specific questions from members of the National Association of School Nurses related to data privacy and data sharing in school nursing.
Webinars 2019 Novel Coronavirus: Legal Preparedness and Public Health Response Efforts February 6 | 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. EST
The recent Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak emanating from Wuhan, China is spreading rapidly. Thousands of new cases are confirmed in China and over a dozen countries, with 5 cases identified in the U.S. This webinar will provide you with legal, policy and practical guidance related to international and domestic public health responses to 2019 n-CoV. 
The Public Charge Rule and the Threat to Public Health February 20 | 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. EST
Under the Department of Homeland Security’s Public Charge Rule, U.S. immigrants who receive non-cash “public benefits,” including most forms of Medicaid, can be denied a green card because they are deemed to be a “public charge.” With the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent order to allow the Final Rule to go into effect while it is being challenged in lower courts, such families, including family members who are exempt from the Rule, and U.S. citizens, are afraid to use public benefits that they are entitled to. Attend this webinar to learn about the legal aspects of the Public Charge Rule and its impact on public health.
2020 Public Health Law Conference Early Bird Registration Deadline: April 16 Join hundreds of public health colleagues to learn how the strategic use of legal and policy tools can address fundamental drivers of inequity, promote health and well-being, and save lives. Register before April 16 to receive $100 off registration. The first 30 to register will have the option to sign up for a historic Civil Rights Baltimore bus tour, guided by Larry Gibson, distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law and acclaimed oral historian.
Worth Sharing Network Joins Amicus Brief Urging Ninth Circuit Review of the EPA Lead Rule The Network joined an amicus brief filed on January 16, 2020, in the case In re A Community Voice v. U.S. Envtl. Prot. Agency, supporting several environmental nonprofit organizations’ petition for judicial review of the EPA’s final rule, “Review of the Dust-Lead Hazard Standards and the Definition of Lead-Based Paint,” published at 84 Fed. Reg. 32,632 (July 9, 2019) (to be codified at 40 C.F.R. pt. 745). Network Now Accepting Applications for MLP Safe & Healthy Housing Cohort Are you and your MLP colleagues frustrated by repeatedly encountering the same obstacles to healthy housing? Apply to join a 6-month cohort of MLPs seeking to improve the safety and quality of housing in their communities through upstream efforts, ranging from informing implementation and enforcement strategies, to spearheading impact litigation, to contributing in large and small ways to legal changes. Policy Surveillance Summer Institute 2020 Registration opens February 3 for the Center for Public Health Law’s Policy Surveillance Summer Institute 2020. The Policy Surveillance Summer Institute will teach policy surveillance methods during a two-day intensive training at Temple University in Philadelphia. Policy surveillance tracks public health laws and policies over time and across jurisdictions, using a rigorous scientific process to create data for evaluation and empirical research. APHA's Policy Action Institute: Improving Community Health This day-long event taking place on Feb. 12, in Washington, D.C. will give attendees the opportunity to engage with elected leaders and professionals in the field and explore the social determinants of health – access to care, education, transportation, environment, immigration/citizenship, discrimination and income inequality.
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Thank you! Your interest in the work of the Network is important. Together, we can advance law as a tool to improve public health. Please forward the Network Report and encourage others to join the Network! The Network for Public Health Law provides information and technical assistance on issues related to public health. The legal information and assistance provided in this document does not constitute legal advice or legal representation. For legal advice, readers should consult a lawyer in their state.
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