Supporting a conference on environmental health for state legislators from the Southeast United States

This grant supports the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) in holding a two-day summit for state legislators from eight Southeastern states on specific issues of environmental health and the legislative mechanisms they can use to address them. State legislators make decisions regarding the programs of state health and environmental agencies, appropriate funding for agencies, determine regulations on fees, and may require these agencies to seek legislative approval to apply for federal grant funds. However, the vast majority of state legislators--even those serving as chairs of health or environmental committees--have no training in these areas and may not understand the relationship between environmental-health services and improved human health. NCSL will model this summit after two previous summits in the Midwest that addressed topics such as indoor-air quality, health effects of renewable-energy sources, and climate change. An NCSL steering committee will select the topics and speakers for this summit, including topics of priority to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) is co-funding the summit, which will be held in Atlanta or Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in late fall 2011. NCSL will provide summaries of the summit to all legislators and staff of health and environmental committees in the eight states, and post them on its website. NCSL will also submit the summaries and funder reports to APHL and the Foundation.

Grant Details

Amount Awarded $40,746.00

Awarded on: 8/15/2011

Time frame: 8/15/2011 - 8/14/2012

Grant Number: 69218