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Public health law is one of the important infrastructural components for public health practice. The laws enacted by each state provide an organizational structure for public health programs at the state and local level, define the powers and obligations of the public health authority, and assure that community and individual interests are appropriately balanced. Within this burgeoning field of research, public health law projects in recent years have evidenced a growing awareness of the importance of having adequate legislation to assess the public health needs of a given population and to provide the authority for disease prevention and health promotion efforts. |
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Modernizing Public Health Law: The Impact of the Turning Point Model State Public Health Act on State Legislative ReformThis case study is the third in a series of comparative case studies of states that have considered amendments to their state public health laws subsequent to the development of the Turning Point Act. This case study describes and assesses the ways in which Wisconsin actors employed the Turning Point Act to modernize their state public health laws through Wisconsin A.B. 881, “An act relating to public health planning, services, and functions” (2006). Attempts to reform Wisconsin public health law pursuant to the Turning Point Act began well before completion of the Turning Point Act and continue into the future. Our research analyzes the major variables to which Wisconsin informants attribute the success of their 2005-2006 modernization efforts. In so doing, we elucidate approaches more likely to support passage of modernization efforts, providing information to policy-makers and public health officials in framing public health law reforms. This Center for Health Policy is currently researching state efforts to reform public health laws subsequent to the Turning Point Act. These case studies have involved meetings with key informants, including public health officials, legislators or legislative staff, executive policy staff, and representatives of health-related advocacy or lobbying groups. Through semi-structured interviews, researchers have analyzed the 1. role of the informant in the statutory modernization process; 2. public health problems addressed by the changes; 3. obstacles to reforming state law and the strategies used to overcome these obstacles; 4. subsequent changes in public health regulation, organization or programs based on statutory reforms; and 5. expected changes in public health outcomes. This research concludes with approaches likely to support passage of public health law modernization efforts, providing information to policy-makers and public health officials on how to frame future public health law reforms. Case Studies:Alaska
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