Act for Public Health

Providing resources to protect public health authority

Act for Public Health is a collaborative working group that provides law and policy research, analysis, technical assistance, and training to protect the authority of public health agencies across the nation.

Public health departments do a lot to keep people safe from man-made crises, natural disasters, and outbreaks of disease. But as communities continue to grapple with COVID-19, more than half of US states have passed legislation that will undermine public health now and in the future.

The ongoing backlash against public health authority significantly limits public health officials’ ability to respond to disasters and disease outbreaks. Public health leaders have experienced personal threats and acts of intimidation. And following public discontent with lifesaving measures like masking and social distancing, legislative proposals in many states seek to inhibit the ability of public health authorities and state governors to respond to the immediate needs of COVID-19 and to future public health threats. These enacted and proposed laws will certainly harm Americans and increase health inequities.

Act for Public Health is an initiative of the Public Health Law Partnership. This group of public health organizations and experts is applying their decades of experience in public health law and policy work to preserve public health authority and infrastructure wherever challenges arise.

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