News & Insights

State laws that make it illegal to distribute or use items such as sterile syringes and smoking equipment have resulted in near record levels of drug overdose, hepatitis C infections and injection-related endocarditis due to the sharing of injections and inhalation supplies. Many advocates and observers, including members of the Network’s Harm Reduction Legal Project, have long advocated for the complete repeal of these harmful laws. Minnesota recently became the first state to do so.

With the recission of the federal declaration of public health emergency, tenants lost some protections from the CARES Act and related federal policies. Proposals in the Biden Administration’s Blueprint for a Renters Bill of Rights provides avenues to support tenants in housing and project based rental assistance and expands those protections as negotiated measures between Freddie Mac and the landlord community.

In the U.S., every state health department operates a newborn screening (NBS) program. NBS programs result in the early diagnosis of serious conditions in over 13,000 babies annually, making it a powerful public health intervention. As NBS requires the collection of personal information, it raises important considerations regarding individual privacy, autonomy, and ethical uses of data.

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.

Occupational health is one important pathway for public health practitioners and cross-sector partners to address the adverse and inequitable human health impacts of extreme heat and climate change. Opportunities in the law and policy arena exist for those seeking to take action to protect workers from extreme heat.

School nurses can play a critical role in advancing child and adolescent health — including expanding access to care for many children. However, laws across the country do not yet recognize the importance of school nurses, and only one state requires a full-time registered nurse in every school.

In September, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights and Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology announced the release of an updated Security Risk Assessment Tool. The tool is designed to make it easier for entities and business associates covered under HIPAA to understand and remediate risks to electronic health information.

The OCR and FTC have issued renewed warnings regarding the dangers of online tracking technologies and the harm they can pose to the privacy of an individual’s health information. OCR and FTC warn that tracking technologies collect identifiable information, mostly unbeknownst to users, and can lead to violations of three federal laws by regulated entities.

This report summarizes findings from research that looked at specific markers of advocacy capacity and interviews of key respondents in 50 states and the District of Columbia between March and June 2023.

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.