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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 ...

Oyez! Oyez! Oyez! Public Health in the Courts

There are a number of court cases playing out across the country that could affect the options state and territorial health officials have to limit the spread of disease and promote health and ...

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. ...

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 ...

Health Policy Tackles Joint Challenges of Pandemic and Natural Disaster Preparedness

Each September marks National Preparedness Month. This year, public health emergency preparedness professionals look back on 20 years since the 9/11 attacks—the event that effectively launched the ...

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 ...

Public Health Policy Issues to Watch in 2021

HIV,
PFAS,

With many of the state and territorial legislatures reconvening over the next few weeks, we can look forward to new (and not-so-new) legislation start to crop up that will impact public health. To ...

Scarce Medical Resources Caused by COVID-19 Lead to Difficult Allocation Decisions

As the Delta variant spreads across the country and increases the number of COVID-19 cases, the strain it is placing on the nation’s health system continues to grow. The surge of COVID-19 patients is ...

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 ...

Courts Consider Whether State Vaccination Laws Must Include a Religious Exemption

During the 2022 state legislative sessions, at least 20 states considered bills that would require a religious exemption to a vaccine requirement. As state legislatures continue considering vaccine ...

Legal Considerations for Scaling Monkeypox Vaccination Efforts

Public health officials from all levels of government are working to respond to the existing outbreak of monkeypox, while preparing for the potential of more widespread transmission.

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 Ensure Safe and Accessible Elections During COVID-19

Utah,

In 1965, while signing the Voting Rights Act into law, President Lyndon B. Johnson stated that “a man without a vote is a man without protection.” However, voting is a bit more complicated this year ...

Promoting Health Equity Through State Orders for COVID-19 Testing

In order to contain and mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic, widespread, rapid testing is key. Rampant and efficient testing determines who has the virus and who may be at risk of transmitting it, and ...

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 ...

States Consider Role of COVID-19 Vaccination for School Enrollment

Iowa,
Ohio,
Utah,

This week might have marked the beginning of summer, but many policymakers and health officials have their eye on the upcoming school year and what that might mean in terms of getting students ...

COVID-19 Pandemic Underscores Need for Tobacco Control Policies

Utah,

The COVID-19 pandemic has further amplified the need for strong tobacco prevention and cessation policies. Research indicates that tobacco use is associated with increased rate of COVID-19 disease ...