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Read a detailed summary of the FY26 Senate Appropriations Bill, which was released on July 31.

In-depth analysis on state health policy surrounding the public health workforce. This is part of ASTHO's annual legislative prospectus series.

Investing in Indiana’s Public Health Infrastructure Through Community-Driven Policy Change public health infrastructure, community driven policy, indiana state health commissioner, public health system, indiana department of health, outpatient facilities, technical assistance, data and information integration, emergency preparedness, child and adolescent health, legislative action, state and local elected officials, health problems, health care, health system, health departments, federal agencies, essential public health services, centers for disease control, state and local levels, health outcomes, health organization, covid-19 pandemic, health infrastructure, promoting health, public health organizations, states public health, federal funding, astho, association of state and territorial health officials Maggie Davis, Keith Coleman Indiana enacts historic public health funding through community engagement and legislative support. In April 2023, Indiana passed bill SB 4, which was a historic investment in the state's public health funding and restructuring its public health system. This case study shares how the Governor's Public Health Commission and the Indiana Department of Health approached community listening sessions, formulated recommendations, and successfully built legislative support to reform the public health system in the state. Get the Report (PDF) website yes

State and territorial health officials gathered on Capitol Hill to meet with lawmakers and discuss public health priorities—learn more about Hill Day in this blog post.

Leveraging Medicaid to Support Community Health Workers astho, association of state and territorial health officials, community health workers, health equity, medicaid coverage, chw workforce, social service, public health, health care system, improve health, individual and community, mental health, achieving health equity, social determinants of health, underserved communities, united states, health disparities, medicaid program, state Medicaid, advance health equity, highest level of health, people of color, community they serve, improve access, people living, increased health Vanessa Finisse, Madison Hluchan How to leverage Medicaid to support community health workers. Community health workers (CHWs) are pivotal in advancing health equity and improving population health, especially for marginalized communities. Today, there is increasing federal investment to better integrate CHWs into the health care system, spurred by post-COVID-19 federal legislation. While the benefits of CHW integration are well-documented, sustainable funding remains a challenge. This brief, developed in partnership with the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS), explores Medicaid coverage for CHW-led services and highlights opportunities for state and territorial health agencies (S/THAs) to collaborate with Medicaid to support CHWs. Key Considerations Medicaid-Funded CHW-Led Services Medicaid authorities can finance CHW-led services, such as state plan amendments (SPAs), section 1115 demonstrations (1115 waivers), and managed care flexibilities. States can pick a pathway depending on their goals, timeline, and administrative capacity. As compared to SPAs, 1115 waivers provide states with more flexibility to waive federal Medicaid rules to test innovative approaches (see Table 1). website yes

DELPH scholars discuss the important role of Community Health Workers (CHWs) in the public health workforce, the need for support, recognition, and investment in their development, and the importance of sustainable funding for CHW programs across the United States.

Three ways policymakers are addressing access to care are through telehealth, safety net and emergency services, and adjusted reimbursement rates to Medicaid-enrolled providers.

State and federal efforts to bolster health care access for underserved rural communities.

Building More Equitable Communities Through Public Health Law Dawn Hunter Every week, my husband and I place a grocery order. We shop at an employee-owned supermarket chain known for its workplace culture. Sometimes we order online and pick it up, sometimes we have it delivered, and sometimes we do the shopping ourselves. In any case, we often purchase our groceries without much thinking—if we order online, we are prompted to “buy it again” and even in person we tend to buy the same staples. Prices are higher online than in store. In addition, we live in a community where plastic bags are still an option, but we used to live in a community where plastic bags are banned. Why am I sharing all of this? Nearly every aspect of our weekly grocery trip is shaped by the law. Laws impact: Food placement, packaging, expiration dates, and prices. Employee wages and benefits. Store location, hours, and accessibility. Availability of rideshare drivers for delivery orders. Whether to choose paper or plastic. Law impacts the way we experience our everyday lives by establishing the framework in which we operate. The grocery store is just one example of how law can shape our decisions and, more importantly, our choices. Because it shapes the resources and opportunities available to us, law is an important determinant of health. Exploring the Landscape of Public Health Law What we think of as “law” can take many forms. It includes statutes, regulations, case law, organizational policy, and budgets, and how they are interpreted and enforced. The law can be a set of requirements or prohibitions, establishing norms and expectations for our behavior as individuals, organizations, and systems. The law can also be the processes and procedures associated with creating laws, making decisions, and interpreting existing laws. Public health law, specifically, is important as a field because it includes the laws that are designed to protect and promote the public’s health and that define the power of the government to act on our behalf. In fact, law is behind every public health success of the 20th century. A 1999 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report listed vaccinations, motor vehicle safety, safer workplaces, healthier moms and babies, and recognition of tobacco as a health hazard among those successes. These achievements would not be possible without the law, including: School vaccination laws. Helmet and seatbelt laws. Speed limits. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Food fortification. School lunch programs. The Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. Newborn screening. The Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement. Clean indoor air laws. At the same time, these laws have not benefited everyone equally. In fact, they have often operated as a tool of racism and other forms of structural discrimination. The lesson here is that the law can create the conditions that lead to differences in health outcomes, but it can also create the conditions for equity. The Civil Rights Movement and Advances in Health Equity One must look only to the civil rights movement to see the potential. As just one example, today’s robust network of Community Health Centers was born from the activism of the Black Panther Party, which established free health clinics in response to continuing discrimination in the health care system, as well as the work of H. Jack Geiger and Count D. Gibson Jr., who established the first community health centers in 1965. The success of these efforts led to funding for additional community health centers through President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Office of Economic Opportunity as part of his War on Poverty. In fact, key legislation enacted during the civil rights movement led to significant, even if insufficient, improvements in health outcomes for Black Americans. For example, there is evidence that women’s suffrage, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Voting Rights Act all led to improvements in premature mortality and infant mortality, among other benefits. The enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in 2010 and the resulting adoption of Medicaid expansion saw similar success. There is ample evidence of the Medicaid expansion impact on health outcomes and financial well-being, both at the individual and population level. Addressing the Training Gaps in Public Health Law for More Equitable Public Health Practice The fact that law shapes how we experience our lives on a day-to-day basis is perhaps the most important reason that public health professionals should understand the relationship between the law and health outcomes and how to use the law to achieve more equitable, thriving communities. However, knowledge of public health law continues to be one of the biggest training gaps in the public health workforce. The 2021 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey, conducted by the de Beaumont Foundation and ASTHO, found that strategic and systems thinking was one of the top training needs as well as an increased interest in policy engagement and topics related to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (visit the 2021 Dashboard). Another report in 2021, “Challenges and Opportunities for Strengthening the US Public Health Infrastructure: Findings From the Scan of the Literature” by the National Network of Public Health Institutes, found a need for increased awareness among the public health workforce of the legal basis for public health authority and identified both how to influence law and policy development and how to understand the effects of law and policy on health among the top training needs. These findings align with public health accreditation standards. Whether or not you work for an accredited health department, the Public Health Accreditation Board Standards and Measures serve as a guidepost for the practice of public health. There are two specific domains where this is relevant: domains 4 and 5, as detailed in Table 1. Padding Block - Medium(10) Table 1. Public Health Accreditation Board Guidance for Equity Domain Measure Examples Domain 4: Strengthen, support, and mobilize communities and partnerships to improve health. Measure 4.1.3 A: Engage with community members to address public health issues and promote health. Making the decision-making structure inclusive and transparent to empower community members or developing mechanisms for shared ownership in the process. Enhancing residents’ capacity to understand levers of power or influence in policy change. Domain 5: Create, champion, and implement policies, plans, and laws that impact health. Measure 5.1.2 A: Examine and contribute to improving policies and laws. Assessment of the impacts of the policy or law on equity. Input gathered from stakeholders or strategic partners. Padding Block - Large(2) Lessons Learned: Involving and Empowering Communities The inclusion of community members in assessment, decision-making, and capacity-building efforts to understand levers of power or influence reinforce key lessons learned in the past three years, spurred by COVID-19 and the racial justice movement of the summer of 2020: The first lesson is the need to recognize and rectify historical injustices. It is important that we understand the historical legal context behind current health inequities. We must know and name the problem to solve it. The second is the need to rectify current inequities by analyzing and assessing the ways in which our current system of laws is creating and reinforcing inequities. The third is the need to engage impacted people in identifying, designing, and implementing solutions. One of the lessons learned from the work of Geiger and Gibson was that there is a difference between what the health system thinks people need and what communities think they need. It seems we are still trying to learn this lesson today. Leveraging Law to Drive Equity and Make Public Health More Trustworthy Law is the only way to truly change the game for inequities. It can give a voice to historically marginalized people by creating pathways to ensure inclusion and representation in the political process. It can also change systems and institutions by changing the way they operate and the way that people within those systems operate. Additionally, it can serve as a tool to enforce conditions that will lead to more equitable outcomes and to hold people in positions of power accountable. We have often heard in the past few years about the need to rebuild trust in public health. I’d like to reframe that to think about how we make public health as a field more trustworthy. It starts by increasing our understanding of the authority of public health to promote the public’s health and to use that authority to create systems in which we all can thrive. article yes

A mid-session legislative update on five of ASTHO's top 10 public health state policy issues to watch in 2023: data privacy and modernization, reproductive health, health equity, strengthening public health agencies, and immunization.

Accompanying an infusion of federal funding, states are considering several policy changes to strengthen the public health workforce and address challenges within the health care workforce.

Colleen Arceneaux and Jantz Malbrue from the Louisiana Department of Health to discuss why forgoing community health worker certification was the right course of action for their state.

Continuing ASTHO’s Legislative Prospectus series—which highlights the top 10 public health policy issues for 2022—we are focusing this week on mental and behavioral health as well as supporting the public health workforce.

In addition to the countless hours worked during the COVID-19 pandemic, many public health workers are also grappling with how to repay outstanding federal loans. In response, the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) recently announced temporary relief to current and future Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program participants as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pharmacies have long been instrumental partners in providing lifesaving vaccines nationwide. As state and territorial health officials evaluate their COVID-19 response, planners must include input from the pharmacy community when identifying areas for improvement, as well as best vaccination practices in advance of future public health emergencies.

Data-Sharing Strategies to Support Access to Care Interventions Anna Bartels, Chikamso Chukwu Learn how primary care offices improve community access to health care in this Health Policy Update. Every state public health agency houses a Primary Care Office (PCO), which monitors the effectiveness of that jurisdiction’s health system. HRSA funds PCOs to identify communities with health professional shortages, and PCOs may also administer workforce programs to place providers in those communities. To identify which communities are experiencing shortages, PCOs collect state-level data on where health care providers work, what services they offer, and how many hours they spend on patient care. PCOs also track data on community needs, such as household income levels and community transportation options, to create a holistic picture of whether health care is truly accessible. PCOs across the country have explored different policy pathways to access reliable, accurate data, including laws that support PCO access to certain data sets, cross-sectoral relationships, and data-sharing agreements. According to ASTHO’s national PCO workforce assessment, over 85% of PCOs are part of a formal data-sharing arrangement, with licensing boards and Medicaid agencies serving as two of the most common data sources. This health policy update describes several types of actions jurisdictions have taken to support PCO data access. New Hampshire Law Allows the PCO to Survey Providers During License Renewals The New Hampshire PCO’s Health Professions Data Center administers a survey tied to health care providers’ medical license renewals that gathers self-reported provider and practice data, such as where providers work, how many hours per week are spent delivering direct patient care, and anticipated changes in capacity over the next five years. New Hampshire law outlines the scope of the survey and authorizes the PCO to collect, store, analyze, and report on health care workforce supply and capacity through surveying during license renewal. Although survey responses are the primary source of data on the health care workforce, data from the state’s all payer claims database housed within the Medicaid division provides supplemental information. Given the type of data involved, legal agreements are required between the PCO, licensing agencies, and relevant parties to maintain privacy for providers. These data are critical for the PCO to evaluate current and future capacity — especially in regions with limited providers — and proactively focus recruitment efforts on those communities. Colorado Braids Data Collection Strategies Across Multiple Sources While the Colorado PCO has relied on a similar law that authorizes collecting licensure data for more than 10 years, its data collection efforts have since expanded. The state now collects and integrates data across 16 different sources, each requiring a different procurement strategy. While some data sources are simple to access because they are public use files (e.g., Medicare provider data), other sources — namely state agencies — require the PCO to submit an application or enter into a memorandum of understanding or contract for access. Pursuing multiple data sources in this way takes significant effort and staff time, necessitating the health department to supplement HRSA’s PCO cooperative agreement funding with other sources, including state appropriations and private funding. A commitment to collaboration and investment and a willingness to build new relationships and processes from scratch support the Colorado PCO’s wide-ranging data collection strategy. Iowa Builds on Existing Relationships to Access Provider Data Iowa’s PCO has a long-standing relationship with the University of Iowa and a joint interest in health care workforce data. Currently, the PCO purchases provider phone survey information from the University of Iowa’s existing program and receives data on a biannual basis. The university’s data collection is part of its own research efforts and not collected on behalf of the PCO, so while the data are broader than what the PCO needs, it is still a valuable source of provider information. Because of this existing arrangement, the PCO could pursue a more expansive agreement (that would likely require additional funding) and expand the scope of the data, such as by adding data collection on provider residence or sliding fee scales. Other PCOs may consider approaching partners that have pieces of the data they need so there is an established relationship in place that may be expanded as new resources become available. PCOs Secure Access to Medicaid Claims Data State Medicaid agencies are another frequent data partner for PCOs, with at least 16 receiving provider data from their state Medicaid agency in various formats. In some states the Medicaid agency shares a point-in-time file with the PCO, who may manually recode the data before submission to HRSA. In other states, the PCO has direct access to the Medicaid claims processing system to independently extract the necessary data points. The nature of the partnership between the PCO and Medicaid agency may vary based on the state’s organizational structure (e.g., whether the PCO and Medicaid agency sit within the same department). However, a PCO seeking access to Medicaid claims data should be prepared to justify the need for the data, articulate how it can support the Medicaid agency, and develop the necessary relationships to support a workable solution for both parties. Conclusion Each PCO and state health agency has its own unique structure, and there is no “right” way to collect health care provider practice or access data. However, exploring how different jurisdictions approach these processes can help PCOs think strategically about new initiatives and relationships. ASTHO will continue tracking PCO success stories and remains available to facilitate connections among health agency staff. 2 UD3OA22890-13-00 article yes

States Stay Prepared by Supporting the Public Health Workforce Margaret Nilz, Christina Severin Learn how states use policy to support emergency preparedness and bolster the public health workforce. Public health — particularly public health preparedness — continues to experience workforce shortages, driven by longstanding systemic challenges such as chronic underfunding, high turnover, limited recruitment, and an aging workforce. While some jurisdictions report increased capacity to hire and train public health staff in recent years, they often rely on short-term or temporary funding streams, which limit long-term sustainability. State, local, tribal, and territorial health agencies have varying capacities to respond to public health emergencies, particularly in rural and underserved communities. Because a limited workforce can inhibit emergency preparedness efforts, jurisdictions recognize the importance of cultivating a resilient public health preparedness workforce to respond to future emergencies. In recent years, jurisdictions have pursued several policy interventions to bolster the public health preparedness workforce such as legislation supporting front-line clinical staff and first responders, and rulemaking and other executive powers to provide structural and financial support to critical personnel. Legislative Efforts Legislative efforts to increase benefits and support for health care and public health workers can help address the root causes of workforce challenges and lay the groundwork for sustainable, long-term investment in public health preparedness. Laws that establish standards and expectations for the preparedness workforce, including expansions of benefits or additional training, support workforce growth and retention. Since 2024, several jurisdictions expanded mental health benefits and related support for first responders and other preparedness personnel. Both Alaska (SB 103) and California (AB 2859) enacted legislation that allows peer support programs for emergency service personnel. In Alaska, the bill creates programs for entities such as law enforcement agencies, firefighters, and emergency dispatchers, while California’s bill creates programs to serve a variety of health care providers involved in emergency medical care, including physicians, nurses, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians (EMTs). Utah enacted HB 378, which requires the Department of Public Safety to annually distribute information about its critical incident stress management program to first responder agencies. The bill also requires first responder agencies to annually notify employees about the availability of mental health resources, including periodic screenings for employees and continued support for retired or separated first responders and their spouses. On a broader scale, Hawaii SB 3279 recently established a well-being project tasked with mental health trainings and support for several community organizations, including first responders, hospitals, and medical staff. In Washington, HB 2311 directs the state’s Criminal Justice Training Commission to develop resources for first responder wellness, including a peer support network for active and retired first responders and their families. States have also enacted legislation expanding traditional employment-related benefits, including Colorado (HB 24-1219), which expanded certain health benefits for firefighters to include part-time and volunteer firefighters, and Idaho HB 55, which allows retired public employees to volunteer with public employers without it being considered reemployment. In addition, Georgia HB 451 requires state and local entities to provide disability benefits for first responders who experience occupational or volunteer-related post-traumatic stress disorder. Finally, several jurisdictions enacted legislation to support education and training for their public health and health care workforce. For example, Kentucky HB 484 established an emergency medical service education grant program that provides tuition support for students pursuing paramedic certification, wage reimbursement to ambulance providers whose employees pursue certification, and funding for institutions planning to offer EMT, advanced EMT, and paramedic programs. Oklahoma HB 1696 expands eligibility for the Oklahoma Medical Loan Repayment program to include certified nurse practitioners. Two new laws in Puerto Rico require police officers with the Puerto Rico Police Bureau to be certified in first aid or immediate rescue (PC 0859) and adds seminars on sign language, suicide prevention, and conflict mediation to the Bureau’s continuing education training (PC 0543). Other Policy Levers: Beyond the Legislature Jurisdictions can also use non-legislative policy tools to enhance workforce capacity in public health preparedness. This includes rulemaking, where executive agencies use existing legal authority to adopt or amend regulations. Regulations have the force of law and can help support the public health workforce by establishing licensure standards, training requirements, and operational protocols. Wisconsin, following the enactment of AB 576 in 2024, is developing rules to establish a program for peer support and critical stress management teams in the state. And Utah recently adopted rules for its first responder mental health services grant, which helps these professionals pursue a degree or certification as a mental health provider. Government agencies can also leverage grants and contracts to fund and otherwise direct workforce development initiatives, support training programs, and expand capacity in targeted areas. Jurisdictions can strategically direct funds to address skill gaps and assist local, state, tribal, and territorial agencies build a more resilient workforce. One example of this is in Michigan, where in 2024 the state health agency issued a request for grant proposals to award up to $9 million in EMS workforce grants, building on similar awards to address EMS shortages in 2023. Executive orders are another policy option for jurisdictions to consider as they explore different pathways to workforce sustainability. Executive orders are issued by a jurisdiction’s chief executive (often the governor) and direct certain policy actions or activities. Generally, the power to issue an executive order comes from existing law or a jurisdiction’s constitution and, in most cases, does not require legislative approval or review. Several states have leveraged executive orders to advance the public health workforce and support preparedness activities more specifically. For example, Vermont and New Jersey have recently used executive orders to create or extend advisory councils on issues pertinent to public health preparedness. In 2024, Virginia’s governor issued an executive order formalizing the Office of First Responder Wellness, which provides training, counseling, and other resources to first responders in Virginia. In 2023, the governor of Maryland issued an executive order establishing a State of Preparedness directive if there is a risk of public emergency, and the actions state agencies must undertake to promote improved coordination and hazard planning. Key Takeaways Addressing public health emergency preparedness workforce challenges demands strategic, long-term policy solutions, but several implementation options are available. Health agencies can pursue a variety of policy interventions to support and prepare their public health workforce for future emergencies. ASTHO will continue to monitor this important issue and provide updates as appropriate. article yes

Likely Public Health Legislative Trends for 2025 Prospective Public Health Legislative Trends for 2025 Maggie Davis Get an inside look at prospective public health legislative trends for 2025, based on ASTHO's legislative tracking efforts and member feedback. Drawing from member feedback and ASTHO’s legislative tracking efforts, ASTHO identified five key issues state and island legislatures are likely to work on for the upcoming legislative sessions for the annual 2025 Legislative Prospectus Series. Each brief provides public health leaders and policymakers with a synopsis of the topics, recent legislative trends, and anticipated legislation in upcoming sessions. Public Health and Health Care Workforce States are continuing to address workforce shortages within public health and the health care systems. ASTHO’s prospectus outlines strategies that legislatures are considering, from bolstering state public health funding to legislative efforts addressing nationwide workforce shortages through recruitment incentives, workforce commissions, and pipeline programs. Containing Spread of Infectious Disease State and territorial public health agencies are responsible for protecting the health and safety of their residents and have legal authorities to fulfill those responsibilities. In recent years, many legislatures have revisited the scope of these legal authorities, with states like Washington (SB 6095) expanding the health official’s authority to issue standing orders for a range of disease interventions. Similarly, legislatures may continue considering vaccine-related legislation. While many bills in recent years aim to weaken vaccine policy, state leaders have listened to medical leaders within their state who advocate for strong vaccine policies. In 2024, West Virginia’s governor vetoed HB 5105 that would have weakened school enrollment requirements, informed by strong opposition from the state’s medical community and evidence that the existing vaccine policy had prevented disease outbreaks. Data Modernization and Privacy Modernizing public health and health care data systems have taken big steps forward, including federal initiatives like the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA), which establishes guiding interoperability principles and standards for health data exchange. Nevada enacted AB 7 in 2023 requiring new regulations governing health information exchanges (HIEs) and granting certain liability protections to providers using them. In the proposed rules published in August 2024, the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services intends to require that participating HIEs are TEFCA members. ASTHO anticipates more jurisdictions will allow public health agencies access to a wider range of privacy-protected health data through secure platforms like HIEs. Maternal and Child Health Public health supports mothers and children throughout their development. There are three emerging issues that legislatures are likely to work on in the next year: maternal morbidity and mortality, fetal and infant mortality, and youth mental health. One strategy to address youth mental health is using laws to regulate social media companies, requiring them to implement safeguards for minors who use their services. For example, California enacted SB 976 in 2024, which requires “addictive internet-based” services to gain parental consent before minors could use the service and limit the hours in which minors could use an application. Technology industry groups are challenging these efforts in court, with one suit asserting that California’s measure is unlawful governmental interference with First Amendment rights of minors. Substance Misuse and Overdose Prevention Although there was a significant decrease in overdose deaths in 2023, there are still legislative actions to help reduce substance misuse and prevent overdose likely to be considered in 2025. During the 2024 sessions at least 24 state legislatures considered bills to regulate products like kratom and hemp derived products (e.g., Delta-8). Additionally, at least 18 legislatures considered bills to decriminalize drug checking equipment like fentanyl and xylazine testing streps. ASTHO anticipates states legislators will continue implementing harm reduction efforts, policies to connect people with substance use disorders to care, and efforts to regulate products with potential for abuse or misuse in the next session. What We Know So Far The majority of states will convene their legislative sessions in January 2025, with at least 15 states scheduled to conclude their session by the end of April; there will likely be a flurry of legislative activity in the first quarter of the year. Already the Texas legislature has prefiled more than 1,200 bills for their 2025 session, covering topics including a health commissioner’s authority to establish routine childhood immunization requirements (HB 468) and making changes to the state’s maternal mortality and morbidity review committee reporting requirements (HB 713). Additionally, Virginia’s General Assembly convened its two year session in January 2024 and has a number of bills carrying forward into 2025 including bills related to suicide prevention (HB 80) and improving maternal health data quality (HB 286). ASTHO will monitor legislation related to these topics and more during the 2025 sessions and will provide relevant updates. 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Legislative Prospectus: Public Health Workforce 2022 ASTHO Legislative Prospectus: Public Health Workforce astho, association of state and territorial health officials, association of state and territorial health officials astho, public health officials, state health officials, territorial health officials, island jurisdictions, state health, public health, leading cause of death, mental illness, 10th leading, center for disease control, united states, national suicide prevention lifeline, save lives, suicide prevention resource center, disease outbreak, disease control and prevention, national institute of mental health, preparedness plans, centers for disease control and prevention, mental health conditions, preparedness and response, attempting suicide, mental health problems, health care, evidence base, covid-19, mental health, suicide prevention, pandemics preparedness, behavioral health Years of underinvestment in public health left a fragile public health system to respond to COVID-19 in early 2020. The public health workforce overcame extraordinary conditions responding to the pandemic—working long hours, risking exposure to the disease, and withstanding threats and abuse from the public—which negatively effected the mental health of many public health workers. A Spring 2021 survey of over 26,000 public health workers found that 52.8% experienced symptoms of anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, or suicidal ideation. States and territories are considering several policies to support the public health workforce, including efforts to increase the number of public health workers, strengthening protections for workers privacy and safety, and ways to sustain public health funding. Download the Prospectus website

This video highlights how public health leaders can navigate the legislative process.