The Network for Public Health Law (NPHL) has issued six new public health resources that can be read and accessed below.
Public Health and Equity Resource Navigator
Public Health and Equity Resource Navigator (PHERN) was created by the American Public Health Association (APHA) and the Institute for People, Place, and Possibility (IP3) as an online home for over 1,000 hand-curated resources, stories, tools, and datasets designed to help changemakers navigate resources focused on ending the pandemic, advancing equity, and building a resilient, robust, sustainable public health system for the future.
Cultural Healing: A New (Old) Paradigm for Creating Healthy Communities
In the debate about how to incorporate cultural differences (which are often deeply intertwined with racial identity) into dominant social structures to create just outcomes, cultural healing often receives little attention. Cultural healing reconnects people to the vibrancy and strengths of their culture and in doing so, enhances health and wellness. However, embedding cultural healing practices will require legal reforms that institutionalize culturally inclusive practices.
Guidance: State COVID-19 Emergency Declaration
Since the inception of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, every state, most territories, hundreds of tribal governments, and thousands of municipalities have declared various levels of emergencies. This document provides a comprehensive snapshot of the current status of various state-level emergency declarations issued in response to COVID-19 based on data provided by the National Governors Association, NPHL, and other sources.
Federal Vaccine Mandates in Response to COVID-19
Federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates have generated significant legal controversies from their inception. Although federal vaccine requirements have been issued prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the scope of existing COVID-19 mandates has been directly opposed by federal, state, and local officials, as well as private sector entities and individuals. Dozens of cases challenging federal vaccine mandates have been filed in courts nationally. This fact sheet lists and briefly explains the slate of federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates along with a “snapshot” assessment of their current legal status based on select case outcomes.
From Pandemic to Endemic: Legislative Oversight and Termination of Public Health Emergencies
As we enter the third year of COVID-19, we are seeing the transition from a pandemic to an endemic. With this shift comes the staged termination of public health emergency measures used to respond to COVID-19 and its variants. Unknown is how our existing legal framework will bring about the end of the pandemic measures consistent with appropriate oversight by legislative and executive branches. New Mexico provides one example of what this transition might look like.
50-State Legislative Bill Survey: Summary of Pending Bills Limiting Public Health Authority
We know that public health interventions work. Yet, as communities continue to grapple with COVID-19, more than half of U.S. states have passed legislation that will undermine public health now and in the future, and similar legislation is being considered in other states. This resource details COVID-19-related legislation and broader proposed limitations on public health authority introduced in all 50 states (and the District of Columbia) from September 1, 2021, through March 15, 2022. These bills include shifts in authority limitations on emergency orders, and measures related to public health interventions including vaccination, testing, and mask requirements.