Using Scientific Research to assist State Legislators in environmental health policy

Abstract Text: State legislatures, like Congress, are the policy-making branch of government. All statutes, rules, regulations, and policies in state government ultimately gain their authority from the state legislature, either directly or indirectly. No agency may act, enforce laws or regulate without express legislative authority. Yet often the public health community neglects the legislature as the means to develop needed or innovative public health policy.

Legislators, more the most part, are not public health professionals, nor are they familiar with environmental public health. Few understand the importance of a environmental public health infrastructure, nor do they rely on research from their public health schools to address problems. In most states, agency staff are prohibited from contacting or even responding to requests from legislators, forcing legislators to rely on the Governor's staff or lobbyists.

This session will introduce the audience to state legislatures, and the NCSL project to present public health research to address environmental public health policy.