2025 Public Health Law Conference Sessions

Please note: Sessions are in the process of being added. The following list may not yet represent the full scope of sessions.

View the Sessions by Track

Advocacy and Community Engagement

Emerging Issues and Legal Challenges

Harm Reduction and Overdose Prevention

Health and Racial Health Equity

Strengthening Public Health Protections

Public Health Data Access, Sharing, And Privacy

ADVOCACY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Building Partnerships with Community and Cross-Sectoral Partners to Advance Health and Equity

Strong cross-sectoral and community partnerships are critical to advancing public health and health equity. Advocacy and collaboration ensure laws and policies facilitate, not impede, health and well-being, which in turn creates the conditions communities need to enable everyone to be healthy and thrive. This session highlights lessons for creating partnerships with public health, cross-sectoral, community-based, and power-building organizations and provides tools and resources to identify shared values and priorities and build transformational relationships with lasting impact on communities’ health.

  • Angela McGowan, J.D., M.P.H., Senior Director, Alliance for the Public’s Health, American Public Health Association
  • Rya Griffis, M.P.H., Project Manager, Alliance for the Public’s Health, American Public Health Association

Community Determined Polices and Interventions: Approaches to Climate Change and Health Equity

The session will feature three dynamic approaches by Public Health – Seattle & King County to reach community self-determined solutions to address policy and interventions that accelerate health equity. Presenters will speak on multi-sectorial issues surrounding extreme weather, climate change, and resilience. Each presentation features direct and deep engagement with the  most impacted individuals, community-based organizations, and other partners, and highlights approaches ranging from systems modeling, representative survey sampling, and policy priority co-creation.

  • Bradley Kramer, Ph.D., M.P.H., Senior Program Manager, Climate & Health Equity Initiative, Public Health Seattle & King County
  • Nicole Errett, Ph.D., Director of the Interdisciplinary, University of Washington Center for Disaster Resilient Communities
  • Jessica Jeavons, J.D., Director Policy and Strategy, Public Health Seattle & King County
  • Ginna Hernandez Rodriguez, M.P.I.A., Policy Analyst, Public Health Seattle & King County

Health and Democracy: Democratizing Community Health Assessments

There is a growing recognition of the interconnected relationship between democracy and health. Healthy People 2030 named increasing voter participation as a core objective paving the way for health departments to prioritize promoting civic and voter participation across their community health assessments, plans and programs. In this session, leaders from Minnesota and Wisconsin will share examples of advancing health equity by building cross-sectoral partnerships and strengthening civic participation through health assessment and planning processes.

  • Gnora Mahs, Dr.PH., M.P.H., Health & Democracy Coalitions Advisor, Institute for Responsive Government
  • Margarita Northrop, M.P.H., M.I.P.A., State Health Plan Coordinator, Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Office of Policy and Practice Alignment  
  • Jeannette Raymond, Former Public Health Practice Assistant Section Manager, Minnesota Department of Health
  • Jeanna Ayers, R.N., M.P.H., Fellow, Institute for Responsive Government

Policy Co-Design through Community Engagement

This presentation will highlight the innovative approaches taken by Public Health – Seattle & King County and the University of Washington CoLab to address public health issues through community-centered policy co-creation. Attendees will gain insight into the methodologies, challenges, and successes of these collaborative efforts aimed at improving health outcomes by addressing racism, fostering multisector collaboration, and increasing food security.

  • Ginna Hernandez Rodriguez, M.P.I.A., Policy Analyst, Public Health Seattle & King County
  • Jessica Jeavons, J.D., Director Policy and Strategy, Public Health Seattle & King County
  • Sarah Walker, Ph.D., Director of University of Washington CoLab for Community & Behavioral Health Policy
  • Angel Swanson, Executive Director, Feeding Feasible Feasts

Pro-Vaccine Advocacy at the State Level: Legislative and Judicial Trends from 2025

The SAFE Communities Coalition supports pro-vaccine legislation and lawmakers, and empowers everyday people (the often silent pro-vaccine majority) to advocate for health and safety alongside medical, legal, and public health professionals. This session will provide information on recent state-focused legislative and judicial trends, and how to participate in advocacy efforts as part of a broad and diverse coalition of partners that supports public health, works for equitable access to immunization, and advocates for laws that protect vulnerable populations.

  • Ashley Chambers, J.D., Director of Legal Affairs, SAFE Communities Coalition
  • R. Northe Saunders, Executive Director, SAFE Communities Coalition
  • Richard Hughes IV, J.D., M.P.H., Epstein Becker Green

The Role of Law and Policy in Achieving Mobility and Transportation Equity

This session will use didactic presentations and a facilitated large-group discussion to: (1) present the results of a legal mapping study, funded under a NHTSA Cooperative Agreement, and discuss how novice driver licensing laws may impact marginalized communities (e.g., due to delayed licensure); (2) discuss how law could be adjusted or harnessed to promote equity in mobility and crash outcomes; (3) how emerging technologies and transportation policy can be used to achieve mobility equity, and (4) discuss challenges in implementation, enforcement, and advocacy for law and policy change in this area, and possible ways to overcome them. This session will also include a discussion of the impact of changing national leadership on advancing equity for all, including people of color and others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality. 

  • Kerri McGowan Lowrey, J.D., M.P.H., Deputy Director, Network for Public Health Law—Eastern Region

Through the Intersections: Criminalization, Public Health, and the Road Forward

This session will focus on the consequences of the heightened criminalization of People Living with HIV (PLHIV), including the impact of collateral consequences post-release on health outcomes and service accessibility. HIV criminalization will serve as a case study for broader criminalization-based approaches, emphasizing the importance of coalition-based strategies to overcome criminalization and enable compassionate public health solutions, such as harm reduction.

  • Kerry Thomas, Community Decriminalization Strategist, Sero Project
  • Jon Card, J.D., Staff Attorney, Health Law and Policy Clinic, Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School
  • Kae Greenberg, Esq., Staff Attorney, Center for HIV Law and Policy
  • Sean McCormick, Esq., Staff Attorney, Positive Justice Project, Center for HIV Law and Policy

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EMERGING ISSUES AND LEGAL CHALLENGES

2021-2022 Racial Equity Dataset: A Searchable Collection of Laws Related to Racial Health Equity

In the wake of the renewed racial justice movement in 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic, jurisdictions across the country enacted laws to address health disparities and advance racial equity — as well as laws that may impede these goals. The Network for Public Health Law sought to identify these laws based on keyword searches in bills proposed in the 2021 and 2022 legislative cycles in all 50 US states. As a result of this research, laws that were enacted, and that were still in effect on December 31, 2022, were compiled into a cohesive dataset to provide insight into the outcomes of those legislative sessions.

  • Quang Dang, J.D., Interim Co-Executive Director, Network for Public Health Law
  • Phyllis Jeden, J.D., Senior Attorney, Network for Public Health Law—Mid-States Region

Artificial Intelligence Assisted Policy Analysis and Legal Mapping

Artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) present new tools for increasing efficiency of legal mapping and policy analysis for legal epidemiology. Recent uses of AI/ML in legal mapping provide insight into utilization of this methodology. This session will include a discussion of the  issues and applications of AI/ML technologies in public health legal research, including AI/ML-assisted legal mapping methodology considerations, use of large language models for coding health data-sharing laws, and innovative approaches to real-time surveillance of emergency laws.

  • Cason Schmit, J.D., Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University School of Public Health
  • Regen Weber-Fares, J.D., M.P.H., Postdoctoral Research Associate, Texas A&M University School of Public Health
  • Snigdha Peddireddy, M.P.H., Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Behavioral, Social, & Health Education Sciences, Emory University
  • Mara Howard-Williams, J.D., M.P.H., Legal Epidemiology Team Lead, Office of Public Health Law Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  

Diving into Wastewater Surveillance for Public Health: Data Access, Sharing, and Legal Considerations for Using Poo’s Clues

Wastewater surveillance is an emerging public health tool that has been implemented throughout the U.S., its territories, and Tribal lands. The session will discuss future wastewater surveillance priorities and how these may relate to public health ethics and law. This session will also discuss legal authorities related to conducting wastewater surveillance, including broad public health authorities, specific statutory authorities, and the police power of states under the Constitution.

  • Rachel Hulkower, J.D., M.S.P.H., Public Health Analyst, Privacy and Confidentiality Unit, Office of Public Health Ethics and Regulations (OPHER), OD’s Office of Science
  • Heather Huntley, J.D., M.H.A., Senior Attorney, Office of the General Counsel, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  
  • Rachel West, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Rapid Response, Research and Surveillance Branch and is the Wastewater Science Liaison for the National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Fighting Federal Attacks on Health Care Access and Equity through Legal and Policy Advocacy

This session will provide an overview of current federal attacks on and looming threats to Medicaid, the ACA, and civil rights, including those that affect sexual and reproductive health care access and equity. Learn how health law and policy advocates are responding through Congressional and administrative advocacy, litigation, and other enforcement actions, as well as opportunities to engage and help fight back.

  • Madeline Morcelle, J.D., M.P.H., Senior Attorney, National Health Law Program (NHeLP)
  • Mara Youdelman, J.D., LL.M., Managing Director, Federal Advocacy, National Health Law Program (NHeLP)
  • Sarah Somers, J.D., M.P.H., Legal Director, National Health Law Program (NHeLP)

Integration of Public Health in Climate Strategies by Major U.S. Cities: A Pragmatic Look at the Treatment of the Climate-Health Crisis in Municipal Policies

The field of sustainability seeks to integrate environmental health, social equity, and economic vitality for the well-being of current and future generations. A critical emerging challenge in this field is addressing the growing impacts of climate change on communities. Despite the clear ties between environmental health and public health, and despite a nascent global emphasis on the “climate-health crisis,” little empirical research has examined whether and how U.S. cities have integrated public health into their climate action plans, and how those plans align with local public health strategies. This session will discuss the alignment of climate actions plans with public health adaptation strategies, as well as leading practices and persistent gaps that must be addressed as municipal climate strategies grow in sophistication and public health strategies take increasing account of climate risks.

  • Keegan Warren, J.D., LL.M., Executive Director, Institute for Healthcare Access, Texas A&M University; Principal, Future States Advisory
  • Patrick Murphy, M.B.A., Vice President, Sierra Club

Federal Administration Changes Course on Climate Change 

We are at a critical time to address climate change and its mounting adverse effects on human health yet the federal government has embraced an approach summed up by “drill, baby, drill.” In this session, presenters will describe recent executive orders and executive actions related to climate change. Panelists will also discuss deregulation, legislation, and litigation related to federal actions affecting climate change. Panelists will pay particular attention to federal shifts away from support of renewable energy, environmental justice, international agreements, and conservation of natural resources, and the extent to which the judicial and legislative branches have constrained this shift. 

  • Jill Krueger, J.D., Director, Climate and Health, Network for Public Health Law
  • Betsy Lawton, J.D., Deputy Director, Climate and Health, Network for Public Health Law

Preparing for the Next Public Health Emergency: Investment in Broadband Infrastructure to Improve Public Health Outcomes

From vaccine appointments and test results to tracking CDC mask mandates, healthcare and public health’s reliance on the internet surged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtual care became the new norm, prompting laws and policies to expand access to telehealth. At the same time, public health agencies took on broad new initiatives to conduct contact tracing, surveillance, and other outreach functions, many of which relied on rapid and secure electronic communications. This session will discuss laws and policies that engage public health departments in digital equity programming to advance health equity and will examine the potential roles public health agencies can play in leveraging broadband infrastructure investments to sustain telehealth expansion and support other public health functions in the long-term, to be ready to respond when the next disaster calls.

  • Sara Raza, LL.M., Clinical Fellow and Attorney, Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School
  • Seth Hoedl, Ph.D., J.D., President and Co-Founder, Post Road Foundation
  • Waide Warner, J.D., Chairman and Co-Founder, Post Road Foundation

The Misclassification of Misoprostol and Mifepristone as Controlled Substances – A Public Health and Legal Response

In 2024, Louisiana became the first state to place misoprostol and mifepristone on the state’s Controlled Substances List in a misguided attempt to reduce access to the drugs, which are used in medication abortion but also in many other medical procedures. Now other states are looking to follow in the footsteps of Louisiana. Learn how leaders at one local health department and advocates are fighting back against this misuse of the Controlled Substances Act.

  • Jeanie Donovan, M.P.H., M.P.Aff., Deputy Director, New Orleans Health Department
  • Ryann Martinek, M.P.H., Sexual and Reproductive Health Specialist, New Orleans Health Department
  • Ellie Schilling, J.D., Health Care Attorney, SEMM Law

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HARM REDUCTION AND OVERDOSE PREVENTION

Advancing Policy for Public Health: Using Legal Epidemiology to Advance Harm Reduction Policies to Improve Outcomes Related to HIV and Viral Hepatitis

Empirical research on the health effects of law can empower public health leaders to identify and implement evidence-based legal changes. This session explores the use of legal epidemiology to uncover opportunities for policymakers to increase law’s effectiveness to achieve better outcomes related to HIV and viral hepatitis. Panelists will discuss the need for research on policy interventions, longitudinal legal data on laws related to syringe access, and studies analyzing the health effects of these laws.

  • Scott Burris, J.D., Director, Center for Public Health Law Research, James E. Beasley Professor of Law, Temple University Beasley School of Law 
  • Katie Moran-McCabe, J.D., Lead Law and Policy Analyst, Center for Public Health Law Research, James E. Beasley Professor of Law, Temple University Beasley School of Law 
  • Tamara Rushovich, Ph.D., M.P.H., Postdoctoral Fellow, Urban Health Collaborative, Drexel Dornsife School of Public Health

Advancing Public Health and Harm Reduction Solutions to the Intersecting Crises of Homelessness and Overdose in an Era of Regressive Backlash

Perceived public disorder and rising homelessness have driven backlash against proven public health policies, with jurisdictions across the political spectrum increasingly embracing criminalization and other coercive responses to drug use and homelessness – a trend likely to worsen following the Grants Pass decision and 2024 election. In this session, presenters will explore this shifting landscape and provide attendees with legal, messaging, and advocacy strategies to defend and advance health-centered, harm reduction-oriented policies on drug use and homelessness.

  • Kate Boulton, J.D., M.P.H., Senior Legal Technical Advisor, Vital Strategies Overdose Prevention Program
  • Amanda Hall, M.S.W., Senior Director of National Campaigns, Dream.org
  • Elizabeth Green, Ph.D., Communications Director, Big Cities Health Coalition
  • Derek Carr, J.D., Legal Technical Advisor, Vital Strategies Overdose Prevention Program

Disability Justice: Novel Approaches to Using the Americans with Disabilities Act to Protect the Rights of People Living with Disabilities and Promote Public Health

This session will explain the historical and ongoing discrimination against people living with disabilities and explore its convergence with other forms of oppression, as well as provide an overview of innovative legal strategies to attack discrimination against people living with HIV and people living with substance use disorders. Speakers will provide steps for using these approaches to better protect the rights of people living with stigmatized conditions and promote public health.

  • Bianca Laureano, Ph.D, M.A., C.S.E., C.S.E.S., Foundress, ANTE UP!
  • Milo Inglehart, J.D., Staff Attorney, Transgender Law Center (TLC)
  • Amelia Caramadre, Esq., M.P.H., Attorney, Kaplan & Grady
  • Sean McCormick, J.D., Staff Attorney, Positive Justice Project, Center for HIV Law and Policy (CHLP)

Expanding Access to Lifesaving Care: Strategies to Leverage Emergency Medical Services to Address Drug Overdoses

Federal grants, contracts, and other forms of financial assistance form the cornerstone of federal investment in substance use prevention and harm reduction services. When designed effectively, these funding streams play a critical role in shaping policy, driving community engagement, and enhancing comprehensive prevention systems. This session will explore how the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention has employed innovative strategies in its discretionary grant programs to strategically leverage federal funding to build sustainable harm reduction infrastructure in communities, with a particular focus on the First Responders-Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (FR-CARA) grant program. Speakers will address how grant language and requirements support community-led harm reduction initiatives that integrate seamlessly with broader prevention, treatment, and recovery systems, including efforts to revise language in FR-CARA and other grants to ensure alignment with statutory requirements while offering recipients the flexibility needed to develop adaptive, community-specific solutions.

  • KT Kramer, J.D., M.H.A., Legislative and Policy Analyst, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
  • Cara Alexander, Ph.D., B.C.D., L.C.S.W., CDR, Deputy Director, Center for Substance Prevention (CSAP), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
  • Susan Schoeld, A.M., L.M.H.C., S.U.D.P., FR-CARA Grant Project Director, King County Behavioral Health and Recovery Division
  • Matthew Burgan, N.R.P., CP-C, Board-certified Community Paramedic, Rederick County Division of Fire & Rescue Services

The Future of Harm Reduction in an Increasingly Hostile Legal Environment 

How can public health professionals work collaboratively with harm reduction programs in a hostile legal and political environment to ensure best health practices, safety, and dignity for people who use drugs and their communities? This session will discuss the current legal landscape and discuss strategies to support harm reduction providers and their communities, emphasizing coalition-building, creativity, and courage. 

  • Amy Lieberman, J.D., Deputy Director, Harm Reduction Legal Project, Network for Public Health Law 

Rural Pharmacies: A Community Pillar to Strengthen Harm Reduction

This session will delve into innovative strategies for strengthening community-based harm reduction, particularly in rural areas. By examining successful models and addressing legal and policy challenges, participants will gain valuable insights into expanding access to naloxone and implementing sustainable harm reduction programs. The session will highlight practical solutions, lessons learned, and best practices for public health professionals, policymakers, and community leaders working to address the opioid crisis. 

  • Devin Sweat, M.S.W., L.S.W., L.A.C., Public Health Advisor, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 
  • Heidi Wood, Pharm.D., M.A.S, B.C.P.S, A.A.H.I.V.P, University of Iowa Department of Psychiatry’s Addiction and Recovery Collaborative (UI ARC)
  • Sophie Durham, Pharm.D., Deputy Director, Opioid and Substance Use Program, Mississippi State Department of Health 

Ignite Sessions: Harm Reduction-Focused Sessions by Individual Presenters

42 CFR Part 2 and privacy protections for people who use drugs, people in treatment, and people in recovery 

Federal privacy protections for substance use disorder treatment records promote important public health and policy goals by encouraging people to access treatment, promoting the therapeutic relationship in treatment, and protecting people from stigma, discrimination, and criminalization. These important privacy protections, specifically 42 CFR Part 2, are also confusing, complex, and changing, with five rulemakings in seven years, with an upcoming compliance date of February 2026. This presentation offers insight into the changes, dispel common misconceptions and confusion about sharing substance use-related data across sectors, and provide a framework for thinking and applying privacy protections in the context of public health.  

  • Jacqueline Seitz, J.D., Deputy Director of Health Privacy, Legal Action Center 

Legal Strategies to Require Pharmacies to Stock Buprenorphine in Pennsylvania 

Buprenorphine is a life-saving medication for many people with opioid use disorder, and is a key tool in efforts to decrease overdose and other drug-related harms. Fortunately, the process and requirements for prescribing buprenorphine have become less onerous; unfortunately, many pharmacies do not stock buprenorphine or refuse to fill prescriptions. This presentation focuses on legal strategies for requiring pharmacies to stock buprenorphine in Pennsylvania, including potential causes of action to compel pharmacies to stock buprenorphine based in Pennsylvania statutory, regulatory, and common law; and explores a plan for mobilizing change in relevant state agencies to better specify pharmacy obligations and to ensure appropriate implementation and enforcement. 

  • Shanaya Desai, Dual J.D. and M.P.H. student, Temple University 

Overdose Prevention Centers: State of the Law and Continuing Momentum 

Overdose prevention centers (OPCs) are evidence-based harm reduction interventions that improve public health and safety and should be part of a comprehensive approach to the overdose crisis. The first sanctioned OPCs opened in New York City in 2021 and since opening staff have intervened in over 1,600 overdoses with no deaths, while providing critical services and connections to care for people who use drugs. This presentation will provide an inside view into the evidence, establishment, and operation of OPCs in the U.S., with recent data on impacts of OPCs on public health and safety; as well as analysis of the interplay of local, state, and federal law in the context of OPCs; and the role of OPCs in responding to the overdose crisis and ways that public health advocates can support the expansion of OPCs across the country. 

  • Kellen Russoniello, J.D., M.P.H., Director of Public Health 

Public Health Policy to Advance Drug Checking Services 

The New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute currently oversees over one dozen drug checking services programs, co-located with existing harm reduction programs, as pilot programs. A temporary licensing structure was created with the Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement while a statutory amendment is advanced with the Legislature. The presentation will include an overview of the public health law framework to support drug checking programs as well as an overview of existing programs, best practices in development and partnership with the Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement to address licensure; and highlight the various community partnerships the New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute has developed over the past four decades and how those partnerships enhance public health policy development and implementation.  

  • Carmelita Cruz, Esq., Director

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HEALTH AND RACIAL HEALTH EQUITY

Collaborative for Anti-Racism & Equity (CARE): Advancing Legal and Equity Innovations for Racial Justice in Public Health

This session will explore how interdisciplinary approaches—combining law, policy, and racial equity frameworks—can advance health justice and improve outcomes for historically marginalized communities. Participants will gain insights into the intersection of legal systems, public health practices, and racial justice advocacy. The session will highlight innovative strategies and tools that are reshaping public health landscapes. 

  • Sara Rogers, M.P.H., Senior Policy Analyst, Health Equity, Network for Public Health Law

Connection is Cure: Centering Culture in Community Healing

Culture shapes how individuals and families perceive health, interact with systems, and receive care, shaping both personal and collective well-being. This session will explore cultural healing and how culturally responsive approaches can be “weaved” into clinical care to foster trust, engagement, and improve health access and outcomes. It will also highlight key policy reforms that support these practices, creating opportunities to advance similar efforts in other healthcare and public health settings. 

  • Sara Rogers, M.P.H., Senior Policy Analyst, Health Equity, Network for Public Health Law

Embedding Equity in State-Wide Decision-Making to Address Root Causes of Health Inequities

In 2006, the Washington State Legislature authorized the State Board of Health to conduct Health Impact Reviews (HIRs) in collaboration with the Governor’s Interagency Council on Health Disparities. An HIR is an objective, non-partisan, evidence-based analysis that provides the Washington State Governor and legislators with information on how a legislative or budgetary proposal may impact health and equity. This session will explore the development, evolution, and influence of HIRs as a state-wide decision-making tool.

  • Cait Lang-Perez, M.P.H., Health Policy Analyst, Washington State Board of Health and the Washington State Governor’s Interagency Council on Health Disparities
  • Miranda Calmjoy, M.P.H., Health Policy Analyst, Washington State Board of Health and the Washington State Governor’s Interagency Council on Health Disparities
  • Lindsay Herendeen, M.P.H., M.C.R.P., Health Policy Analyst, Washington State Board of Heath and Governor’s Interagency Council on Health Disparities

Fighting the Anti-Anti-Racism Movement through Theory, Practice, and Litigation

This session examines the anti-anti-racism movement and its public health impacts. It assesses legal and narrative trends focusing on where we are, where we were, and what has changed. Turning to practice, participants will learn about real-world health impacts, including pivots to nonetheless meet the needs of people of color. Participants will also learn about what is being done on the litigation front to challenge the sweeping measures to eradicate anti-racist public health efforts. 

  • April Shaw, Ph.D., J.D., Deputy Director, Health Equity, Network for Public Health Law

Meeting The Moment: Addressing Structural Barriers to Sexual and Reproductive Health Care Access and Equity

Structural oppression continues to shape access to sexual and reproductive health care, disproportionately harming Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, LGBTQI+ individuals, people with disabilities, and other marginalized communities. This session will examine policy, legal, and grassroots advocacy strategies to advance sexual and reproductive health care access and equity, including the use of planned community-based childbirth to racism in pregnancy care; the role of nondiscrimination law in promoting sexual and reproductive health care equity for undervalued communities; and lessons from Ireland’s abortion rights movement in identifying coalition-building strategies that can inform advocacy efforts in politically and religiously conservative contexts.

  • Jen Stolow, Ph.D., M.P.H., Assistant Professor, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
  • Kaytura Felix, M.D., Distinguished Scholar, Department of Health & Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
  • Madeline Morcelle, J.D. M.P.H., Senior Attorney, National Health Law Program
  • Amy Merceicia, Ph.D. Candidate, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine

Centering True Lived Experience in Policies to Support Health During Reentry from Incarceration

The period when individuals reenter their communities following incarceration presents an important intervention point to mitigate the health harms of incarceration. Legal and policy innovations, such as Medicaid section 1115 waivers, provide opportunities to address health and social needs during reentry. This panel will examine the importance of centering the lived experience of people who are formerly incarcerated in development and implementation of these policies to promote dignity and wellbeing and to avoid replicating health-harming carceral systems. 

  • Quang H. Dang J.D., Interim Co-Executive Director, Network for Public Health Law
  • Emma Kaeser, J.D., Staff Attorney, Network for Public Health Law—Mid-States Region

The Public Health Case for Reparations and Insights from the Field

This session explores the intersections of public health and reparations policies. Public health experts, legal advocates, and local government leaders will examine the transformative potential of this strategy for addressing health inequities and collaborative approaches to design and implement reparative policies in diverse local contexts. Participants will explore opportunities for reparative actions, potential health benefits, and what it takes to advance this work in the current national environment.

  • Melissa Jones, M.P.A., Executive Director, BARHII
  • Brandon Greene, Esq., Director of Policy Advocacy, Western Center on Law and Poverty
  • Bobbie Alexander, M.B.A., Special Projects Manager, City and County of Denver

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STRENGTHENING PUBLIC HEALTH PROTECTIONS

Legal Epidemiology for Health Departments: A Tool for Evaluating Policy Impacts on Population Health

This interactive panel will support legal epidemiology capacity-building in health departments to strengthen and support policy evaluation and change. The panel will introduce new tools and resources developed for and in consultation with a curated community of practice to meet the needs of health departments using legal epidemiology to evaluate their public health laws. Panelists will solicit feedback on the tools and resources while detailing case study projects from community of practice members.

  • Scott Burris, J.D, Director, Center for Public Health Law Research, Temple University
  • Alexandra Hess, J.D., M.P.H., Legal Training Manager, Center for Public Health Law Research, Temple University
  • Elizabeth Platt, J.D., M.A., Director of Research and Operations, Center for Public Health Law Research, Temple University
  • Elizabeth Van Nostrand, Associate Professor, Temple University College of Public Health

Beyond Legislation: Litigation, Rulemaking, and Policy Implementation to Promote Health Equity

Policy change efforts often focus on legislation as a tool, but there are non-legislative strategies that can be equally if not more effective, particularly in challenging political climates. This session will provide an overview, using case studies and specific examples, of three non-legislative avenues to advance health equity: litigation, rulemaking, and equitable implementation of laws and policies. Participants will learn about how to utilize these strategies, and will have the opportunity to discuss them.

  • Sarah de Guia, J.D., Chief Executive Officer, ChangeLab Solutions
  • Sabrina Adler, J.D., Vice President of Law, ChangeLab Solutions
  • Alexis Etow, J.D., Managing Director, ChangeLab Solutions
  • Maya Watts, J.D., Managing Director, ChangeLab Solutions

Challenges and Opportunities in Public Health Under the Trump Administration

The 2023-2024 Supreme Court term and the 2024 elections ushered in a new and unfamiliar landscape for public health law. In the session, the Act for Public Health partnership will identify the resulting challenges and opportunities in the public health landscape, including: (1) federal legislative and executive actions impacting public health; (2) the impact of recent Supreme Court decisions; and (3) opportunities for state and local governments to strengthen public health authority to address social determinants of health.

  • Scott Burris, J.D., Director, Center for Public Health Law Research, James E. Beasley Professor of Law, Temple University Beasley School of Law
  • Linda Tvrdy, J.D., Ph.D., Senior Legal Project Manager, Public Health Law Watch, Center for Health Law and Policy, Northeastern University School of Law
  • Sara Bartel, J.D., Managing Director, ChangeLab Solutions

The Case for Modernizing Public Health Systems Through Better Governance

Imagine a trusted and modernized public health system that meets the needs of the communities it serves. This session will describe and align existing legal authorities and policy principles at play in national public health frameworks such as the 10 Essential Public Health Services and Foundational Public Health Services, which aim to drive public health system modernization, and action-oriented frameworks for adopting more efficient, effective, and transparent government processes that modernize and streamline administrative burdens. 

  • Darlene Huang Briggs, J.D., M.P.H., Deputy Director of Special Projects, Network for Public Health Law

Enhancing Legal Literacy for Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the critical role of legal literacy in public health emergency response, revealing the need to enhance state health officials’ understanding and application of emergency powers. A recent research study that included a national survey of current and former state health officials and qualitative interviews, identified gaps in knowledge, skill deficiencies, and barriers to effective practice in key topic areas such as data sharing, environmental health regulations, and implementing community mitigation measures. This session will detail the study’s key findings and recommendations for practice, and discuss training curriculum that can equip public health officials with the tools necessary to effectively navigate legal complexities, advocate for public health policies, and respond to emergencies.

  • Jessica Baggett, Dr.PH., M.P.H., Senior Advisor, Public Health Response, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)
  • Rachel Lookadoo, J.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental, Agricultural, and Occupational Health, College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center; and Director of Public Health Policy, Water, Climate, and Health Program, University of Nebraska Medical Center
  • Maggie Davis, J.D., M.A., Former Director, State Health Policy, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO).

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PUBLIC HEALTH DATA ACCESS, SHARING, AND PRIVACY

Advancing Health Equity Through Community Information Exchanges (CIEs)

A community information exchange (CIE) is a community governed infrastructure that enables critical health and social information to be responsibly shared among partner organizations in support of holistic coordination of care and equitable systems change. In this session, panelists will share practical insights from the development of a CIE in the Chicago/Cook County, Illinois area, exploring CIEs as a model for promoting health equity and discussing lessons learned for developing a workable legal framework. 

  • Stephen Murphy, J.D., Director, Network for Public Health Law—Mid-States Region

Modernizing Data for Public Impact: Strategies for Secure Release and Smarter System

As public health challenges evolve, so must our approach to data management and sharing. This session will provide an overview for developing clear guidance for aggregate data release and creating a roadmap for data modernization. Participants will explore strategies to strengthen data infrastructure, balance transparency with privacy, and support more responsive public health efforts. Whether navigating legacy systems or planning for the future, this discussion offers practical tools and forward-looking perspectives to better leverage data for better health outcomes.

  • Deja Kemp, Esq., Director of Legal Policy, AISP; and Research Faculty, University of Pennsylvania
  • Jennifer Schitter, M.P.H., Director of Public Health Data, Big Cities Health Coalition (BCHC)
  • Taylor Pinsent, M.P.H, Senior Program Analyst, Surveillance and Informatics Program, Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE)

    Disaggregating Public Health Data by Race and Ethnicity to Improve Public Health

    Disaggregated data on race and ethnicity allows public health professionals to create appropriate, efficient, and equitable interventions to improve health outcomes. This session will provide an overview of state laws to disaggregate race and ethnicity data; best practices for state data disaggregation laws; and case studies from California and New York about the adoption and implementation of those state’s data disaggregation laws.

    • Leslie Zellers, J.D., Public Health Attorney
    • Amy Vertal, M.P.H., Senior Program Manager for Census and Data Equity, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
    • Lizette Escobedo, Vice President of Government Relations & Civic Engagement, Alta Med Health Services
    • Lloyd Feng, Senior Data Policy Coordinator, CACF

    Privacy at the Crossroads: Adapting to New Regulations and Developments

    Join us for a special in-person privacy peer learning session hosted by the Network’s Privacy Officer Peer Group and open to anyone with an interest in privacy. This session will include a discussion of recent updates to 42 CFR Part 2 and the current landscape of HIPAA enforcement. Network presenters will discuss implications for privacy of substance use data, the status and implications of the HIPAA Final Rule to Support Reproductive Health Care Privacy, OCR’s Right to Access Initiative, and state efforts to protect data from inappropriate access or use.   

    • Stephen Murphy, J.D., Director, Network for Public Health Law—Mid-States Region
    • Phyllis Jeden, J.D., Senior Attorney, Network for Public Health Law—Mid-States Region
    • Emma Kaeser, J.D., Staff Attorney, Network for Public Health Law—Mid-States Region

    State Health Departments and Tribes: A New Public Health Data Sharing Approach and Model

    Long-standing barriers hinder state health departments from sharing data with Tribal Health Organizations (THOs). These barriers, which may include legal obstacles, uncertainty, and a lack of trust, keep states from working collaboratively with THOs and leveraging their resources and skills to address shared public health objectives. Learn how Alaska’s Division of Public Health and the Alaska Native Epidemiology Center’s recent successful effort to address and remove those barriers can be an approach and model for health departments and Tribal organizations.

    • Chris Alibrandi O’Connor, J.D., Managing Director and Owner, Chris Alibrandi O’Connor Consulting
    • Peter Reckmeyer, J.D., Senior Legal Counsel, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

      Protect and Share: Empowering data sharing with ethical governance and social license to address disparities in marginalized communities.

      This session will explore how ethics-based policies and practices are key to unlocking the full potential of data for impactful public health interventions. The presentations will underscore the critical role of establishing a strong social license and implementing good data governance as protective ethical practices. These frameworks are essential for fostering trust and enabling more effective data sharing and use, particularly when addressing the interconnected needs of marginalized communities and dismantling systemic inequities that often skew data and hinder progress. Participants will be introduced to the updated A Toolkit for Centering Racial Equity Throughout Data Integration. This revised resource offers practical strategies and 53 new real-world examples for identifying and mitigating bias across the data lifecycle. The session will also focus on the persistent challenges faced by Tribal governments and Tribal epidemiology centers in accessing vital public health data.

      • Cason Schmit, J.D., Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University
      • Deja Kemp, Esq., Director of Legal Policy, Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy
      • Isabel Algrant, M.S., Assistant Director of Training and Technical Assistance, Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy
      • Meghan O’Connell, M.D., M.P.H, Chief Public Health Officer, Great Plans Tribal Leaders’ Health Board