This report focuses on promising strategies in four different policy areas to address rising congenital syphilis rates. While no single policy solution will address the structural challenges to diagnosing and treating syphilis among people ...
A brief summary of all the significant public health legislation passed by U.S. Congress in the summer of 2022.
ASTHO Legislative Alert from March 9, 2022: Final Fiscal Year 2022 Labor, HHS-ED Appropriations Bill Summary and Highlights
ASTHO’s federal and state government experts provide our members with guidance and education on public health policy development and legislation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, public health authority has been used to require the use of face masks and encourage social distancing, and other measures. In several states these legal authorities have been challenged and, in many ...
Legislative Prospectus: Data Modernization and Privacy Protections 2022 ASTHO Legislative Prospectus: Data Modernization and Privacy Protections astho, association of state and territorial health officials, association of state and ...
On Aug. 23, 2021, the FDA announced full approval of Pfizer and BioNTech’s mRNA vaccine for COVID-19. ASTHO has answers to five key questions about the approval and what it means for state and territorial health officials: What does the ...
Economic security and well-being, job stability, access to safe and affordable housing, access to healthy and nutritious foods, and access to resources to manage mental and physical health—all of these things impact individual, family, and ...
The movement to address racism through policy change in the U.S. is receiving significant political support at every level of government. Government institutions are acknowledging the systemic oppression of people of color that persists in ...
The COVID-19 pandemic has exasperated challenges around access to nutritious and affordable foods. In response, the federal government has taken action to increase funding and access to programs to strengthen food security.
On Jan. 30, 2023, ASTHO released a statement commending the FDA on a new proposal to conduct individual risk assessments for blood donors, a policy that reflects the best available science while not promoting stigma and discrimination ...
Public health agencies are working to reduce dementia risk and to optimize the health and well-being of people living with dementia and their caregivers.
In an effort to help meet demand, some states and territories have joined interjurisdictional licensing compacts that allow a mental healthcare provider licensed in one state to provide care in another state—without needing to gain ...
There are significant disparities in pregnancy-related outcomes in the United States. Many of these deaths considered preventable, so state and federal policy makers are taking steps to improve health outcomes for pregnant people.
The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted youth mental health, particularly as a result of school closures, social isolation, family economic hardship, fear of family loss or illness, and reduced access to healthcare. However, states ...
On the 32nd anniversary of the ADA, this blog post explores state legislation around the country that supports people living with disabilities.
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 protocols for COVID-19, HPV, and other ...
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 disease. This post is an examination of ...
What’s Next? An Update From the Hill Devon Page The new year began with a storm. A rare snowy blaze was unleashed on D.C., causing confusion, bewilderment, and inactivity. Though the snowfall subsided, its remnants melted, and Sen. Tim ...