HPHA Legislative and Government Relations Information
Our Mission Statement: To improve public health issues in Hawaii, guided by the expertise of HPHA members, by providing informed & evidence-based legislative testimony and providing a voice on key initiatives in policy and various legislative efforts.
Public Health Authority
In 2023, HPHA worked closely with the American Public Health Association and our affiliates to bring awareness to Public Health Authority and Advocacy.
Read more about this important matter in the following articles:
Fighting for Public Health: Findings, Opportunities, and Next Steps from a Feasibility Study to Strengthen Public Health Advocacy This report This report summarizes a feasibility study conducted with public health advocates and leaders from 45 organizations. The purpose of this report is to stimulate wide-ranging discussion and engage those who share a sense of urgency in collective, purposeful action to strengthen public health advocacy in the United States.
Help Ensure That Public Health Professionals Can Continue to Protect Community Well-Being. This resource provides a community-level overview of legislative limits to public health authority. ChangeLab Solutions introduces concepts of public health professionals, public health authority, and states of emergency. The report outline types of public health limitations, including preemption, exemptions, and shifting authority, which narrow authority, expand “free exercise,” and raise standerds of evidence. Finally, authors explain the implications for public health personnel.
What is Public Health Authority FAQ. This website provides an introduction to public health authority, including key definitions and explainations of public health concepts, threats to public health authority, and the scope of this political problem.
Fundamentals of Preemption. This fact sheet provides summarizes the main types of preemption and how it operates. The authors provide various examples of preemption to understand how they manifest in governance. Additional resources regarding preemption are linked at the end of the fact sheet for those who are interested in learning more.