COVID-19’s Impact on Pregnancy and Childbirth Policies
Many states have introduced bills to strengthen and increase access to these prenatal, delivery, and postpartum services, building a solid foundation of care for women who must navigate the ...
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2023 Legislative Session Update: Part Two
Iowa,
A mid-session legislative update on five of ASTHO's top 10 public health state policy issues to watch in 2023: data privacy and modernization, reproductive health, health equity, strengthening ...
State Policy Actions to Support Long-Term Care Facilities During COVID-19 Response
As COVID-19 emerged and spread in the U.S., people working and residing in long-term care facilities have experienced a significant burden of COVID-19 cases and deaths. As of Oct. 8, deaths ...
The Legal Framework for Administering COVID-19 Vaccines
Iowa,
Anticipating a rapid deployment of COVID-19 vaccines as they are authorized, the CDC developed COVID-19 Vaccination Program Operational Guidance in collaboration with state and local jurisdictions to ...
Domestic Holiday Travel Pandemic Restrictions and Recommendations
Guam,
Iowa,
Ohio,
Utah,
The 2020 holiday season is coinciding with a nationwide surge of COVID-19 cases. With great concern that holiday travel to see loved ones may exacerbate community spread of the virus, many states are ...
Updated Rundown of State and Territorial COVID-19 Mask Requirements
Guam,
Ohio,
Several states and territories, as well as many local governments, are going beyond recommendations and requiring individuals to wear face coverings when they are in public settings and spaces (i.e. ...
Using Data and Effective Messaging to Support Strong Vaccine Policy
States have largely dismissed weakening policies, but legislatures are likely to continue considering vaccine-related bills, which may allow public health leaders to work collaboratively toward ...
COVID-19 and Beyond: Improving Youth Mental Health Outcomes and Disparities
Utah,
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted both the physical and mental health well-being of youth. Disruptions in both their home and school life have put youth at risk for poor mental health outcomes that ...
Stronger Together: Six Strategies to Enhance Your State’s Suicide Prevention Infrastructure
Ohio,
Utah,
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and the importance of continued mental health promotion and suicide prevention efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. As we address the physical effects of ...
Shifting Legal Landscape of Public Health and Places of Worship
Ohio,
Utah,
Reconciling the tension between public health and civil liberties is one of the most significant challenges of public health law and ethics. The Supreme Court of the United States historically upheld ...
States Consider Expanding Scope of Flu Vaccine Policies
The 2019-2020 flu season had approximately 5 million fewer illnesses than the previous year. Thanks to COVID-19 mitigation efforts like social distancing and increased handwashing—coupled with a ...
Isolation, Quarantine, and Public Health Authority Beyond the Pandemic
Iowa,
Ohio,
Under the Tenth Amendment, states have the power to protect the health and welfare of their populations, including the authority to implement isolation and quarantine orders to limit the spread of ...
2022 Legislative Session Update: Part Two
HIV,
PFAS,
The ASTHO State Health Policy team provides brief updates on 5 of the ten state health policy issues to watch in 2022: mental and behavioral health, rural health, e-cigarettes and flavored tobacco ...
Proposed Vaccination Laws to Watch in the New Year
HIV,
PFAS,
Vaccines are one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century, as well as some of the most powerful and cost-effective tools to prevent disease, disparities, disability, and death ...
ASTHO Policy Watch 2022: Maintaining Public Health’s Legal Authority to Prevent Disease Spread
Iowa,
Ohio,
States and territories have broad powers to protect public health and safety, including powers to prevent and control the spread of communicable disease typically exercised by state and territorial ...
States Maintain and Increase Vaccine Coverage Through Legislative Action
Increasing and maintaining vaccine coverage is an important way to prevent the spread of disease and keep communities healthy. This post is an overview of 2019 state vaccine legislative activities.
States Offer Flexibility to Shore Up Healthcare Workforce
Guam,
This Health Policy Update is an overview of policy strategies that states have taken at the executive and legislative levels to increase the healthcare workforce to more effectively and efficiently ...
Health Equity During COVID-19: Top Strategies for an Equity-Focused Recovery Strategy
Iowa,
COVID-19 has generated awareness of the importance of building community resiliency and brought about an influx of federal funding, which offers an opportunity to advance equity in prevention, social ...
Telehealth and Licensure Policies Improving Healthcare Access for Rural Communities
Recent legislation at both the state and federal levels has significantly affected the ability of healthcare providers to serve patients virtually and across state lines.
State Actions on COVID-19 Vaccine Verification
Iowa,
As the number of COVID-19 vaccinations grows, some states are looking at their vaccination rates to determine when to loosen measures that mitigate the spread of COVID-19, such as venue capacity ...