Network Report Thursday, December 16, 2021 
Even as public health, health care, and emergency services are focused on getting vaccines in arms and responding to the health, economic, and social impacts of COVID-19, new laws are being made by states around the country to limit disease mitigation measures – laws that have serious implications in the near term and for future public health emergencies. Join us in Baltimore April 25 - 27 to examine recent legislative and other actions to severely limit public health efforts, and strategies to strengthen public health’s capacity to protect communities. Learn more and sign up for updates. 
Voting Rights: Why They Should be Included in Declarations of Racism as a Public Health Crisis Voting is a way to shape the policies that impact how we live our lives – where we can afford to live, whether our neighborhoods are safe, the quality of the school system we send our children to, whether we are paid a living wage, how tax dollars are invested in our communities, and so much more. When a group of people is systematically prevented from fully engaging in the democratic process, the end result is a system that does not reflect the diversity of the peoples and perspectives it serves. Health equity can be advanced by removing barriers to participation in the electoral process, and that starts with acknowledging that those barriers exist. Declarations of racism as a public health crisis are one way to do just that. 
This resource assesses suicide risk among communities of color and demonstrates why the demands of racial health equity require taking the problem of police violence seriously and creating systems that reduce contact with police. It also identifies opportunities for limiting the role of law enforcement in suicide prevention and law and policy pathways for how commitments set forth in declarations of racism as a public health crisis can be put into action.
Public Housing and Social Determinants of Health Public housing is one of three forms of rental assistance programs used in the U.S. and has the potential to improve public health by addressing the need for quality affordable housing. However, significant changes are needed to match the successes seen in other countries. This resource examines public housing programs in other countries, the current state of public housing in the U.S., and the need for federal policy changes and increased investment in public housing.
Announcements The Network for Public Health Law is accepting applications for the Climate Change, Health Equity, and Public Health Law Learning and Practice Collaborative (Climate LPC) – a learning and practice collaborative for partners interested in the intersection of climate change and health equity to discuss law and policy solutions to mitigate public health impacts from climate change, especially among those most affected. The Network will bring participants together monthly through virtual webinars and facilitated discussions on various topics crucial to climate change and public health law. The application deadline is January 20, 2022.
2021 Public Health Law Conference Session Recordings The impacts of the COVID pandemic have been devastating and there are numerous efforts by state legislatures nationwide to significantly reduce public health’s authority to address future disease outbreaks. During this critical time for public health, hundreds in the public health community convened at the 2021 Virtual Public Health Law Conference to discuss and explore strategies to protect the health of communities. Video recordings of all 40 sessions and the general sessions are now available. Conference attendees can access the recordings through their Whova conference link and non-attendees can purchase access to the conference session recordings here.
Job Opportunities Public Health Attorney (Network's Mid-States Region) The Network is hiring a Senior Attorney to work with our Mid-States Region Office, located at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, in Ann Arbor, Michigan (remote candidates will be considered). The Senior Attorney will focus on legal issues regarding the collection, sharing, and protection of data for public health purposes, including addressing determinants of health and promoting racial and health equity. For best consideration, apply by January 7, 2022. Read the full job description and apply.
Public Health Attorney (CDC Foundation) The CDC Foundation is seeking to hire a Public Health Attorney to support the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and local public health organizations. This position will serve as an advisor to state and local public health directors. The position will help explain legal rights concerning the public health field and provide guidance on the appropriate course of action related to issues elevated by the pandemic. This position will work to develop strategies related to creating/protecting laws and regulations that protect local public health authority, stop health issues, and improve the health and wellbeing of the public.
Worth Sharing How to Talk to a Science Denier January 18, 2022 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. EST In this webinar, hosted by the Kresge Foundation and the Emerging Leaders in Public Health National Program Office, Dr. Lee McIntyre, research fellow at the Center for Philosophy and History of Science at Boston University, instructor in ethics at Harvard Extension School, and author of the recent book, How to Talk to a Science Denier, will share his thoughts and recommendations on how to communicate with and potentially change the minds of those who reject scientific evidence.
Cities Climate Law: A Legal Framework for Local Action In The U.S This report, published by the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law school, examines how U.S. cities can enact ambitious carbon mitigation policies that comply with federal and state law. The report outlines the legal issues that might inhibit or enable policy adoption and implementation across a range of municipal carbon mitigation policy areas. The report seeks to demystify knotty legal questions so that law- and policy-makers can craft informed, creative carbon mitigation policies that address local political and policy concerns while staying within legal bounds, reducing the risk that action will be undone by the courts.
Proposals are now being accepted for the Health Law Professors Conference, June 1 - 3, 2022, at the Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. Proposals for concurrent session panels, workshop/roundtable discussions and individual presentations will be accepted now through January 14, 2022.
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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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