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Chronic Disease

Chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and arthritis, account for 70% of all deaths in the U.S. and cause major limitations in daily lives. Chronic diseases are often related to modifiable health risk behaviors that include lack of physical activity, poor nutrition, tobacco use, and excessive alcohol consumption. Governments at all levels are increasingly using law in novel ways to prevent chronic diseases by changing the environment to facilitate the opportunity for people to make healthy choices and reduce the risk of health behaviors that contribute to chronic diseases. Legal strategies can help to support environmental changes to improve health. Find more information on the Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion website.

Reference
George A. Mensah, et al., Law as a tool for preventing chronic diseases: expanding the spectrum of effective public health strategies, Preventing Chronic Disease. 2004 Apr. Article discussing the important roles that laws have played in public health.

Asthma Statutes

  • Asthmatic School-Children's Treatment and Health Management Act of 2004, (2004). Gives preference to States that require schools to allow students to self-administer medication to treat a student's asthma and for other purposes.
  • Alabama Education Code 16-1-39 (2004). Alabama code authorizing self-administration of asthma medication by students with written parental authorization, and written authorization from physician.
  • California Education Code § 49422-49427. California code allows for pupils to carry and self-administer medication by providing written statements from both physician and parent.
  • Florida Education Code § 1002.20 (h) (2002). Florida code allows for pupils to carry and self-administer medication by providing written statements from both physician and parent.
  • Official Code of Georgia Annotated § 20–2-774 (2008). A Georgia statute authorizing students to self-administer asthma medication, pursuant to local adopted school policies.
  • 105 Illinois Comp Stat § 5/22–30 (2003). Illinois code that permits students with asthma to self-administer asthma medication in school with written authorization provided by both physician and parent.
  • Kentucky Rev Stat Ann § 158–834–158.836 (Michie 2002). Allows a student to possess and administer asthma medication with written authorization from the student's health provider. A copy of a signed waiver from the guardian acknowledging that the school will not be held liable in any claims relating to the self-administration of medicines to treatment asthma or asthma related illnesses must be furnished to the school.
  • Maine 2003 Me Laws 531. Allows students to possess inhalers and self-administer asthma medication with written verification provided by both physician and parent.
  • Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 71, § 54B. Mandates that the department of public health shall disseminate regulations concerning the administration of prescription medications, and allows students with asthma and other respiratory diseases to possess and self-administer prescription medication in accordance with the department of public health regulations.
  • Michigan Comp Laws Ann 380.1179 (West 2002). Permits school children to carry inhalers and self-administer medication if they suffer from asthma, providing written approval from a physician and parent is given to the school.
  • Minnesota Statute § 121A.22–121A.221 (2002). Allows pupils to possess and self-administer prescribed asthma medication if school personnel has received written authorization from the pupil's parent permitting the student to self-administer and the inhaler is properly labeled.
  • Mississippi Code Ann § 41-79-31 (2004). Permits self-administration of a prescribed medication by a student school personnel have been provided with written authorization from the parent and the student's health practitioner.
  • Missouri Rev Stat § 167.627 (West 2002). Allows school board to permit students to self-carry and self-administer if they suffer from asthma or other potentially life threatening respiratory conditions. A written approval from physician and parent is required.
  • New Jersey Stat Ann § 18A:40–12.3 (West 2002). Requires education boards to develop policies for the self-administration of asthma medication through the use of an inhaler while at school. Written consent from the attending physician and parent is required.
  • New Mexico § 22-5-4.3. Allows students to carry and self-administer asthma medication and emergency anaphylaxis medication.
  • New York Educ Law § 916 (McKinney 2002). Permits students to carry and use prescribed asthma inhaler during the school with written permission from health care provider and parent.
  • Ohio Rev Code Ann § 3313.716 (2004). Provides guidelines and conditions for students' to possess and use asthma inhalers while in school. Requires written permission from health care provider and parent are required. Provide school employees immunity from liability for damages in a civil action for injury, death, or loss to person or property if all conditions have been satisfied.
  • Oklahoma § 70-1-116.3. (2004). Provides guidelines and conditions for students' to possess and use asthma inhalers while in school. Requires written permission from health care provider and parent are required.  Provide school employees immunity from liability for damages in a civil action for injury, death, or loss to person or property if all conditions have been satisfied.
  • Oregon Administrative Rules § 581-021-0037 (1999). Instructs school districts to develop guidelines for self-medication of prescribed or non-prescribed medication by a student with written permission from a parent and instructions from a physician.
  • Pennsylvania HB § 1113 (2003). Directs school districts to develop policies for self-administration and possession of certain asthma medications by students.
  • Rhode Island § 18.0 Rules and Regulations for School Health. Requires public schools to establish procedures for permitting students to self - carry and self-administer prescribed medication during school and at school functions off site with written authorization by parent.
  • Tennessee Pub. Act 493 (2004). Permits self-administration of asthma medication and possession of asthma reliever inhalers at schools with parent written consent and specific instructions regarding the prescribed medication.
  • Virginia General Assembly § 22.1-274.2 (2000). Requires school board to establish and develop policies allowing students with asthma to possess and self-administer inhaler medication during the school day and at school sponsored events with written consent from parent and primary care physician.
  • Wisconsin Statute § 118.291. Permits students with asthma to carry and use asthma medication and inhaler in school and at school sponsored activities with written permission for a parent and physician and given to the principal.

Nutrition/Physical Activity/Obesity Public Health Law Resources

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Emergency Preparedness

The Public Health Emergency Preparedness Clearinghouse is a central repository for emergency preparedness-related statutes, regulations, orders, reports, and legal tools intended to aid jurisdictions considering updates and clarifications to their public health emergency legal preparedness activities.

Public Health Law Bench Books

Handbook

  • Criminal and Epidemiological Investigations Handbook [PDF-12.4MB]
    Provides an overview of criminal and epidemiological investigation procedures involving interactions between law enforcement and public health. Law enforcement and public health officials should read the entire handbook to understand the different goals and needs of the other organization before an event occurs. This handbook will teach public health and law enforcement how to work together to identify the biological agent, prevent the spread of the disease, avoid public panic, and apprehend those responsible.

Model Memorandums of Understanding

Toolkits

Training and Educational Resources

  • Forensic Epidemiology 3.0
    Training package designed to help public health and law enforcement agencies strengthen their coordinated response to pandemic influenza and similar disease outbreaks.
  • Public Health Emergency Law 3.0
    Training to help public health practitioners and emergency management professionals improve their understanding of the role of law in public health emergency response. 
  • Suggested Communicable Disease Vignettes (California Department of Health Services)
    Intended to train users to describe communicable disease scenarios that are disruptive to safe court operations, identify health benefits of various precaution methods, and define factors that result in infectious disease transmission.

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Multisector Coordination

Law enforcement agencies, the corrections system, the judiciary, and many other sectors have re-examined their own policies and procedures, identified potential gaps, and undertaken steps to strengthen preparedness for future emergencies. While these efforts are essential, recent disasters have shown that no sector or jurisdiction is likely to face a major disaster or its aftermath alone.

To enhance coordination of preparedness across sectors, the CDC Public Health Law Program, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, convened the Workgroup on Public Health and Law Enforcement Emergency Preparedness in 2007. The workgroup developed the following two tools to bolster multisector coordination:

  • Model Memorandum of Understanding Public Health/Law Enforcement Investigations
    Designed as a starting point, setting forth the major gaps and problems in cross-sectoral and cross-jurisdictional emergency preparedness planning, as well as some key opportunities for addressing them. Please contact state and local public health officials or FBI Weapons of Mass Destruction coordinators in FBI field offices for a copy of the MOU or send an e-mail request to phlawprogram@cdc.gov.
  • Framework for Improving Cross Sector Coordination
    This document outlines the major gaps and problems in cross-sectoral and cross-jurisdictional emergency preparedness planning, as well as some key opportunities for addressing them.
  • Criminal and Epidemiological Investigations Handbook [PDF-12.4MB]
    Provides an overview of criminal and epidemiological investigation procedures involving interactions between law enforcement and public health. Law enforcement and public health officials should read the entire handbook to understand the different goals and needs of the other organization before an event occurs. This handbook will teach public health and law enforcement how to work together to identify the biological agent, prevent the spread of the disease, avoid public panic, and apprehend those responsible.

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Mutual Aid Resources

Mutual aid agreements can be effective tools to assist U.S. state and local governments, tribes, Canadian provinces, First Nations, and Mexican states in sharing information, data, supplies, resources, equipment, or personnel to protect the public’s health.

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Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is an airborne, communicable disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. According to the CDC Division of Tuberculosis Elimination, each year nearly 9 million people around the world become sick with TB. Law-based interventions to control TB, in use for more than a century, remain highly relevant today. CDC, in cooperation with the National Tuberculosis Controllers Association and other partners, has developed and facilitated development of a portfolio of law-related resources to prevent and control the spread of TB. Find more information on the TB website.

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Winnable Battles

CDC’s Winnable Battles are public health priorities with large-scale impact on health and with known, effective strategies to intervene. These selected legal and policy resources on public health winnable battles should help public health practitioners, policy makers, and legal counsel as they explore and shape law and policy.

CDC has identified the following domestic Winnable Battles:

For additional information on Winnable Battles, please visit the main CDC Winnable Battles website.

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Disclaimer: Information available on this website that was not developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not necessarily represent any CDC policy, position, or endorsement of that information or of its sources. The information contained on this website is not legal advice; if you have questions about a specific law or its application you should consult your legal counsel.

 
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