Kerri McGowan Lowrey

Health and safety concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic prompted many states to temporarily adjust driver licensing processes and requirements; for novice drivers in some states, this meant waiving road tests, reducing permit holding periods, and/or offering online driver education. This report discusses changes that were made to Graduated Drivers Licensing programs in five states during the pandemic, including stakeholder reactions, whether the changes remained in place after the pandemic, and why.

Motor vehicle crashes are preventable and yet remain the leading cause of death in the first four decades of Americans’ lives. The burden of traffic-related death and injury is worsening and is not borne equitably across all populations, with people of color experiencing significantly higher fatality rates. Research is needed to clearly determine the causal relationships between transportation laws, including policies steeped in systemic and structural racism, with transportation-related morbidity and mortality.

Substantial and important changes to reimbursements for school-based Medicaid services were made in 2023 due to the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. This resource explains the new federal law and provides an overview of various state legislative approaches to Medicaid coverage for school nursing services.

By May of 2020, the realities of the inequitable toll of COVID-19 on communities of color became starkly evident, and the murder of George Floyd sparked a renewed movement for racial justice in the United States. During this time, the Network began earnestly exploring how best to respond and be of assistance in a rapidly changing environment. An internal Health Equity Work Group (HEWG) was established to create a space for connection and learning, and to identify ways to collaborate across regions to be responsive to what we were observing and experiencing. One of the early actions identified by the HEWG was to “evaluate what services and supports Network users are interested in” via tools like an environmental scan, stakeholder interviews, and focus groups. This report explores the process that was undertaken to answer that question and the key findings and themes relevant to health and racial equity work across a variety of public health practitioners and organizations.

by Overview May 25, 2023 | 1 – 2:30 p.m. ETThis webinar will explore some of the legal issues that impact school nursing…

Housing and health are directly correlated––a stable, quality home is a basis for a healthy life. Housing quality includes the physical condition of the home, as well as the social and physical environment that surrounds it.1 Various aspects of housing quality can affect an individual’s health including air quality, home safety, space, and the presence of mold, asbestos, or lead.2 Poor quality housing is correlated with health problems, such as chronic diseases, injuries, and poor mental health.3 Unhealthy housing conditions are more common among renters. Although tenants have a right to live in a home that is suitable for human habitation, tenants often remain in substandard housing because they are unaware of their legal rights or how to enforce them.

The quality of housing affects many aspects of health. Poor housing conditions can lead to infectious and chronic diseases, poor mental health, avoidable injuries, and long term physical and developmental problems for children. A significant portion of substandard housing is rented. Rental properties present many potential risks to residents, such as exposure to poor air quality, mold, asbestos, or lead. Studies show approximately 40% of diagnosed asthma among children can be attributed to exposure to substandard air quality in the home. Notably, research shows that children who live in rental properties are more likely to have asthma, with 21.5% of children in rented properties exposed to smoke in the home at least monthly. Many of these children also regularly experience musty smells, leaks, and evidence of roaches or rodents.

As lawyers who care about public health, we hope for sound public health law and policy that is based on robust epidemiological evidence. But often the reality is a patchwork of provisions based on compromise, or no law at all. Compromise in public health lawmaking is often inevitable and even desirable in a democratic society. But is it ethically problematic to support a policy that the public believes is in place because it is protective when the evidence doesn’t support that conclusion? As public health lawyers, should we be satisfied that at least something is being done or remain firm in our support that only proven or effective policies should be passed?

Attend this webinar to learn about state and local legal approaches to preventing eviction and its devastating public health consequences.

The desire to predict and prevent violence by young people is understandable and valid, particularly in the wake of school violence tragedies like Columbine, Parkland, and Sandy Hook. Just this week, a teenager made national news when he shot and killed his entire family. Communities do have a valid interest in identifying its members who are more likely to perpetrate violence, even when those perpetrators are children. However, that interest must be carefully balanced with the equally important competing interests of privacy and equity.

Join Network attorneys as they highlight their top choices for pivotal, influential judicial decisions over the past year on topics including emergency legal preparedness, religious freedoms, reproductive rights, food insecurity, health justice, and the future of the ACA.

Millions of Americans are at risk of losing their homes in the wake of the pandemic and renters are particularly vulnerable as they are less likely to have the resources to weather financial losses. On September 1, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an unprecedented Agency Order to temporarily halt residential evictions until December 31, 2020. While on its face, the Order is a “win” for public health, legal challenges on statutory and constitutional grounds are almost certain, and implementation will likely present difficulties.