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Recent State Legislative Attempts to Restructure Public Health Authority: The Good, The Bad, and The Way Forward

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 July 2024

Darlene Huang Briggs ,
Elizabeth Platt  and
Leslie Zellers
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Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic spurred legal and policy attacks against foundational public health authorities. Act for Public Health — a partnership of public health law organizations — has tracked legislative activity since January 2021. This article describes that activity, highlighting 2023 bills primarily related to vaccine requirements and policy innovations undertaken in the wake of the pandemic. Finally, we preview a legal framework for more equitable and effective public health authority.

Keywords

Public Health AuthorityCOVID-19VaccinesEquityLegislation
Type
Symposium Articles
Information
Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics , Volume 52 , Issue S1: 2023 Public Health Law Conference: People. Policy. Progress , Spring 2024 , pp. 43 - 48
Copyright
© ChangeLab Solutions and the Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics

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