Public Health Law: Past & Present — for Facilitators

This collection of tools supports anyone interested in teaching public health practitioners how to use the tools of law and policy most effectively — within the parameters of the U.S. Constitution — to achieve their public health goals. It is part of the Public Health Law Academy (PHL Academy), which provides a deeper understanding of the use of law and policy to improve population health outcomes.

Start with our Public Health Law: Past & Present training, then download and tailor the following resources for your specific audience:

• Facilitator's Checklist
• Facilitator's Guide that can be customized for your community
• Facilitator's Script that can be modified for your audience and speakers
• Slide Presentation that can be adapted to your unique training content

About This Training

This public health law “101” training starts by looking at the legal history that provides the origins of, and foundation for, the practice of public health law today. It next discusses how this history shapes the government’s modern day authority by exploring the parameters of the government’s public health powers. Finally, it examines the constitutional limitations on the government’s ability to enact public health regulations.

Learning Objectives

Instructors can tailor these training materials to achieve the following learning objectives:

• Name two historical events that helped shape the practice of public health law today.
• Identify an example of how this history shapes the government’s modern day authority.
• Identify two constitutional limitations on the ability of the government to enact public health regulations.
• Name the two things that the government must balance when creating public health laws and policies.