Network Report Thursday, March 12, 2020 
Attend this webinar to learn about social distancing legal responses among federal, state, and local authorities, notably: quarantine, isolation, school and other closures, and proposed “lockdowns.” Questions and comments will be addressed in a Q&A session.
Law and Policy Perspectives COVID-19: Snapshot of Law and Policy in the News Public health law and policy stories related to the COVID-19 outbreak that made headlines recently include patient privacy and HIPAA in light of increased health data sharing; paid sick leave; mandatory work from home policies; tribal concerns about a lack of resources to adequately address the outbreak; and the potential for health care worker shortages due to worker quarantine policies. 
The Indian Health Care Improvement Act: Another Potential Casualty of Efforts to Repeal the ACA A lawsuit arguing for repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is making its way to the Supreme Court. One of the lesser-known provisions of the ACA enacted the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA) which provides key health care provisions intended to benefit Native populations. American Indians and Alaska Natives have a life expectancy that is 5.5 years less than the rest of the population and die at higher rates of chronic liver disease, diabetes, injuries, suicide and chronic respiratory diseases. The loss of the IHCIA would significantly set back efforts to address these disparities. 
Social Media Isolation Conundrum: Seeking Public Health Law Solutions Emerging medical research suggests an array of harms from dysfunctional use of social media, including social isolation and loneliness. Rapid advancement of information technology and the near-ubiquitous use of social media have led to calls for public health research to better assess benefits and harms. As we learn more, what role might public health policy play in mediating the harmful effects of social media use?
Resources Lead Safe Housing Rule: Overview and Opportunities for Public Health Advocates The toxic effects of lead poisoning, especially among young children, are well known. Despite the prevalence of lead hazards in children’s environments, laws and programs designed to prevent lead poisoning are sorely lacking. This issue brief provides an overview of key federal lead-poisoning prevention laws applicable to federally-assisted housing, describes recent amendments to the Lead Safe Housing Rule, and discusses opportunities for public health departments and advocates to contribute to effective implementation and private enforcement of the laws. 
Legality of Dispensing and Administering Expired Naloxone in Illinois All 50 states and the District of Columbia have modified their laws to increase access to naloxone, the standard first-line treatment for opioid overdose. While these laws take a number of steps to increase access to this life-saving medication, none explicitly address the legality of dispensing naloxone that is past its expiration date. This fact sheet discusses whether Illinois laws forbids the prescription, dispensing, distribution, possession, or administration of expired naloxone.
Webinars The Public Health Impacts of Legalized Sports Betting March 19 | 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. EST In 2018, the Supreme Court issued a decision that allowed states to legalize sports betting. Since then, 14 states have legalized sports betting. Despite estimates that problem gambling is linked to about twice the rate of suicide attempts as other addictions, few states have included provisions to support problem gambling treatment. Attend this webinar to learn about the public health impacts of problem gambling and the legal and policy levers that are effective in mitigating it.
2020 Public Health Law Conference The Network is pleased to share the preliminary schedule for the 2020 Public Health Law Conference: Building and Supporting Healthy Communities for All. Get a preview of the critical public health issues to be addressed in the more than 40 sessions scheduled, including environmental and climate challenges, harm reduction, mental health, adolescent health, gun violence, vaccinations, the ACA and health equity. Early bird registration ends April 16. NOTE: A refund policy is in place should the COVID-19 outbreak fail to improve by June. 
Help bring resource-strapped public health practitioners, lawyers, advocates and students to the 2020 Public Health Law Conference: Building and Supporting Healthy Communities for All. Your tax-deductible contribution will help pay for travel and housing costs, registration and other expenses. Give through our secure online form. You can also mail in your contribution with this printable form.
Announcements The Network is among 10 leading public health organizations to receive funding support from Kaiser Permanente and the CDC Foundation to bolster efforts to assist state and local health agencies in COVID-19 response. The extent and impact of the novel coronavirus in the United States is becoming more apparent, as more than 1,000 people across the country have been infected and 31 have died. Current resources and information can be found at networkforphl.org/COVID19. 
Mini-Consultations on Data Sharing Local public health agencies can apply to participate in a free mini-consultation focused on a specific data sharing use case aimed at accelerating the adoption of innovative approaches to data sharing. The goal of the mini-consultation is to hone the public health approach, develop a strategy for engaging key data holders, and identify key legal issues. If your agency’s application for a mini-consultation is accepted, you will work with a multidisciplinary research team at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Network for Public Health Law to address issues around your agency’s specified data sharing use case. There are two mini-consultations remaining and applications are due March 23, 2020 by 5pm PDT.
Worth Sharing: Proposed 10 Essential Public Health Services: Call for Review and Comments The Public Health National Center for Innovations (PHNCI) and the de Beaumont Foundation have released the proposed 10 Essential Public Health Services (EPHS) framework for public review and comments. As with the original, the proposed framework is intended to describe public health and is not limited to governmental public health alone. This draft was developed considering input collected from more than 1,300 stakeholders, guided by a Task Force, and using Guiding Principles, and is now open for public vetting. The comment period closes at 11:59PM EDT on April 2, 2020.
Tell Us What You're Working On.
Our law and policy experts can help you identify the key considerations central to your unique challenges and provide law and policy pathways you can leverage to make a difference.
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.
|
