Assessing the role of state health departments and employees in state law and policy development

The Foundation's program, Public Health Law Research: Making the Case for Laws That Improve Health, was designed to build the evidence for public health law and policy, translate research findings into practical tools to increase the support for and use of law by policy makers and public health practitioners, and to translate findings to other fields and venues to improve and protect health.This project will explore how policies that govern public employees' participation in the policy process affect state health departments' effectiveness in advocating for sound public health laws and policies. By understanding how agencies and their employees participate in law and policy development, and how they interpret the rules pertaining to policy advocacy, these findings can better assist agency leaders and our public sector employees in maximizing the contributions of the public health infrastructure to advancing public health policies. This study will use case studies from five states and will: (1) conduct a: legal analysis of laws relating to agency and employee participation in the legislative process, (2) interview state health department leaders to understand their perspectives, and (3) interview state health department employees focused on injury and violence prevention to understand their viewpoints. Deliverables include conference presentations, research briefs, and articles in peer-reviewed journals.

Grant Details

Amount Awarded $149,859.00

Awarded on: 11/9/2012

Time frame: 11/15/2012 - 5/14/2014

Grant Number: 70511