News & Insights

This report captures proposed actions and highlights from rich discussions and ideas generated during and after a convening to inspire continued action and commitment from those who attended, while also inviting others inside and outside public health to improve, join, and amplify this work to strengthen advocacy for the public’s health.

In Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard College (June 2022), the U.S. Supreme Court struck down race-conscious affirmative action programs at Harvard College and the University of North Carolina. What is striking about this case is not just its findings that these specific programs are unconstitutional, but the case goes even further to declare that race no longer matters, and that racism is dead. Racism is a public health crisis, and the Supreme Court has added to this crisis.

Recent research has revealed a strong correlation between access to voting and public health outcomes: states that have more inclusive voting policies combined with higher levels of civic participation have citizens who have better health outcomes. Unfortunately, for many Americans it is not easy to vote, and there has been a wave of restrictive voting laws over the last several years.

Cannabis is legal in most states and most of those living in the U.S. support some form of cannabis legalization. Despite the evolution in state policy and broad public support, cannabis remains illegal under federal law. Things could be changing. In October of 2022, President Biden ordered the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Attorney General to initiate the administrative process to review cannabis’s classification under federal law.

Wetlands absorb and slow floodwaters, help alleviate drought conditions, absorb pollutants, and when left undisturbed, store more carbon than forests. Despite their amazing natural features that help counteract the impacts of climate change, many states currently do not protect wetlands beyond what the Clean Water Act requires, and recently, the U.S. Supreme Court eliminated protections for wetlands that have been in place for decades.

Students of color, students with disabilities, boys — and particularly those at the intersection of these identities — continue to experience disproportionate rates of discipline. School discipline practices can impede child development, result in reduced instructional time, harm mental health, and increase involvement in the juvenile justice system, among other impacts on health and wellbeing. This year, federal and state agencies have announced renewed efforts to enforce students’ civil rights in school to address longstanding inequities.

Over one million people in the U.S. have died from overdose since 1999. This year, as we remember those we’ve needlessly lost, we are also seeing calls for increased penalties for people who share drugs. Perhaps the cruelest form of these laws are drug-induced homicide (“DIH”) laws.

The Network for Public Health Law (Network) is pleased to announce that McClain Bryant Macklin will serve as the…

The Biden Administration’s Blueprint for a Renters Bill of Rights (Blueprint) was introduced on January 25, 2023 to drive action at the federal, state, and local levels to strengthen tenant protections and housing affordability. One of the principles outlined in the Blueprint is that governmental bodies should do all they can to enforce fair housing laws, protect renters from unlawful discrimination, and ensure renters know their legal rights.

People who are incarcerated have higher rates of chronic health conditions, which tend to worsen upon their release, primarily due to the barriers to health care they experience. Despite evidence that employing Community Health Workers with lived experience of incarceration to serve individuals reentering their communities leads to better patient outcomes, significant barriers impede hiring them within health systems.

The Biden Administration’s Blueprint for a Renters Bill of Rights (Blueprint) was introduced on January 25, 2023 to drive action at the federal, state, and local levels to strengthen tenant protections and housing affordability. One of the principles outlined in the Blueprint is that renters should have clear and fair leases, with defined rental terms, rights, and responsibilities written in simple and clear language.