142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

Annual Meeting Recordings are now available for purchase

306349
Trends and Emerging Issues in Public Health from the 2014 State Legislative Sessions

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Monday, November 17, 2014 : 11:00 AM - 11:15 AM

Andrea Garcia, JD, MPH , Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, Arlington, VA
In 2014, 46 state legislatures will convene for regular sessions. State legislatures have been described as laboratories of democracy due to their ability to take experimental and innovative approaches. Prior to state legislatures convening each year, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials develops a state legislative prospectus document highlighting emerging areas and trending issues impacting state health agencies and public health. Issues are identified by surveying the state health agency legislative liaisons and reviewing pre-filed bills.  Some of the emerging and trending issues identified for 2014 include: social impact bonds, labeling genetically modified foods, promoting health equity, legalizing the medical and recreational use of marijuana, addressing prescription drug abuse, data privacy, and promoting healthy behaviors.

By November, all but four state legislatures will have adjourned for the year, making this an opportune time to provide an overview of public health legislative trends from the 2014 state sessions.  This presentation will also provide an opportunity to highlight promising public health laws that were enacted as well as discuss bills that posed potential threat to public health. Issues discussed may include, but will not be limited to those identified in ASTHO’s 2014 state legislative prospectus. Note to session planner, this session is suitable for both lay and legal audiences.

Learning Areas:

Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
Identify trends and promising public health laws adopted by state legislatures during the 2014 legislative sessions.

Keyword(s): Policy/Policy Development, Law

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the Director of State Health Policy at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. In this role, I identify and analyze state legislative and regulatory trends impacting public health and state health agencies, conduct legal research, support the peer network of state health agency legislative liaisons as well as a workgroup of state public health attorneys.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.