Kathleen Hoke

Pregnancy, giving birth, and being postpartum while incarcerated are linked to negative health impacts as people who are incarcerated are not provided adequate prenatal and postpartum care, and experience trauma from the experience. One policy that supports the health of pregnant people who are incarcerated is mandating access to safe and effective abortion care for those who do not want to be pregnant or give birth while incarcerated. This issue brief examines current state laws regarding access to abortion in carceral facilities in the states where abortion is generally available by law.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has indicated that he may lift the FDA’s ban on the interstate sale of raw milk and introduce voluntary raw milk standards for states to adopt. To prepare for these potential federal regulatory changes, states should be aware of their authority to regulate the intrastate sale of raw milk and consider implementing regulations that further minimize consumer risk. This Fact Sheet provides a background on raw milk and potential federal regulatory changes, along with strategies for states to prepare for this change.

Gun violence, accidental and intentional is the number one killer of children and teens in the U.S., surpassing all other causes of death, including car crashes. While access to firearms in the home is a significant contributing factor, the majority of U.S. gun owners do not practice safe firearm storage. There are no federal laws requiring the safe storage of guns. However, several states have passed Safe Storage laws, which are associated with significantly reduced risk of youth injury and death from firearms.

School-entry vaccination requirements have proven to be one of the most effective public health tools for reducing childhood illness, preventing premature deaths, and controlling the spread of infectious diseases across populations. While recent shifts in federal leadership raise concerns about the future of national immunization efforts, the authority and responsibility to maintain vaccine mandates largely rest with state and local governments. This Fact Sheet outlines how states are well-positioned to uphold and adapt their vaccination policies to protect public health, regardless of federal changes.

Despite the recognized health benefits and minimal risk of fluoridation, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the recently confirmed Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has announced that “the Trump White House will advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water." Removing drinking water fluoridation risks diminishing oral health overall and exacerbating existing oral health disparities. Children from low-income households are much more likely to have untreated cavities than children from higher income households. This Fact Sheet will discuss the federal government’s power to regulate fluoride in drinking water. It will also discuss the role of state and local government in this space

As a result of the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs, advocates on both sides of the abortion issue turned to state constitutions to determine the contours of a right to abortion or to make clear no such right exists under state law. When abortion was on the ballot in 2022, voters in several states rallied to enshrine the right to abortion in state constitutions and rejected attempts to further restrict abortions in their states. In the wake of these successful ballot measures, state legislators throughout the country have sought to amend ballot initiative processes ahead of the 2024 elections. This fact sheet outlines recent proposed amendments by several states that are intended to thwart pro-abortion ballot initiatives.

There are legitimate and safe uses of the gas nitrous oxide for medical, culinary arts and industrial use. However, recreational use of nitrous oxide is on the rise, due in great part due to it's popularity on social media. Given the significant short-term and long-term health impacts of nitrous oxide use, public health officials and community organizations should examine their state laws to determine if law change, or just law enforcement, is needed.

Despite the Affordable Care Act mandate that all hospitals and entities that participate in federal healthcare programs develop financial assistance policies (FAPs), many patients are either unaware of the existence of financial assistance programs or overlook the forms or information that different healthcare entities provide related to their FAPs. The adoption of a uniform application for hospital-based financial assistance programs has the potential to increase patient awareness, enrollment, and utilization of FAPs. This 50-state survey provides an overview on the adoption of uniform applications for hospital FAPs across the country, and highlights some of the mechanics of these uniform application requirements.

Children and families across the country have been served well by more than 50 years of federal engagement on and funding of efforts to prevent child maltreatment. This April advocates hope not just for the annual declaration of Child Abuse Prevention Month but also the explicit protection of federal funding that supports vital, evidence-based programs.

Join us for a webinar focused on three important public health issues on which federal, state, and local regulation are intertwined and that may be subject to change based on representations from federal officials under the new federal administration. Presenters will address existing law and potential changes to law regarding raw milk, water fluoridation, and school-entry vaccines.

by Overview Tuesday, February 11, 2025 | 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. CTThe Network is excited to offer RHE CFA Cohort Participants a…

State legislatures are increasingly adopting “food freedom” laws expanding food distribution by exempting retailers like those at farmer’s markets and seaside docks from food safety regulations. At the same time, both food waste and food insecurity are growing. Both the safety, and the health and wellness of those living in the U.S., are threatened by these trends. Attend this webinar to learn about the food freedom trend in the U.S., as well as law and policy levers that can reduce food waste, and address food insecurity.