Repository Key

Description

This key should be used as a companion piece to the Environmental Scan to assist users in navigating both the labels used in the Environmental Scan spreadsheet and the categories and tags added to organize the available resources. The key includes definitions of terms and tags used in the spreadsheet as of June 4, 2024.

Although public health authority is used as a content tag, all resources in the repository will pertain to public health authority to some degree. The legal concept of ‘public health authority’ refers to the legal ability of a government entity to protect and promote the public’s health and health equity.

Resource Categories

Public Health Authority and Legal Primers: Resources that broadly explain legal powers of government entities to protect and promote the public’s health, health equity, and other legal concepts.

Communications and Messaging: Resources that provide guidance on structuring communication to various audiences.

Tracking Databases: Resources that strictly include state-level trackers of enacted legislation, bills, and other legal and policy changes.

Tracking Findings and Trends: Resources that provide greater analysis of state-level findings and other trends in public health authority and public health law.

Tag Descriptions

Legal Concept: Public Health Authority- This resource is about or directly mentions the concept of public health authority, which is, the legal ability of a government entity (typically through state and local health agencies, governors, health officers, or boards of health) to take actions that further public health and health equity in their jurisdiction.

Legal Concept: Public Health Preemption- This resource is about or directly mentions the legal concept of preemption in the context of public health authority. Preemption is when higher levels of government limit or remove the power of a lower level of government (e.g. state preemption of local law) to regulate public health activities.

Legal Concept: General Preemption- This resource is about or directly mentions the legal concept of preemption not in the context of public health authority, though public health may be mentioned (e.g. voting rights).

Health Equity- This resource is about or mentions health equity—the state in which every person has the fair and just opportunity to attain the highest level of health.[1]

COVID-19- This resource makes direct mention to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vaccines- This resource is about or mentions vaccines, particularly laws and policies that pertain to vaccines.

Emergency Orders- This resource is about or mentions emergency orders, particularly laws and policies that pertain to emergency orders.

Isolation and Quarantine- This resource is about or mentions isolation and quarantine, particularly laws and policies that pertain to isolation and quarantine.

Testimony- This resource includes access to previous legislative testimony made on proposed legislation.

[1] Definition of health equity provided by the CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/health-equity-chronic-disease/social-determinants-of-health-and-chronic-disease.html

Evidence- This resource includes access to evidence-based resources, such as research articles.

Multi-state- This resource includes state-level information (e.g. a 50 state survey).

Resource database- This individual resource links to multiple webpages, or contains a library of information.

If a resource is tagged with a specific state, (e.g. Missouri), that means the resource either is dedicated solely to that state (e.g. a state fact sheet) or uses that state as an example of law and/or policy. This does not include multi-state surveys, which are tagged ‘multi-state’.