Act for Public Health 2025 Briefings
Navigating the Impact of Federal Actions on Public Health Practice.
Public health practitioners and policymakers need to stay informed amid the shifting legal landscape brought about by recent federal activities. The Act for Public Health partners are hosting a new forum for timely conversations that explain and interpret the impact of federal action on state and local public health practice. Join us biweekly for 30-minute informal discussions between speakers with topical expertise. We’ll cover federal actions on subject areas such as immigration; LGBTQ+ communities; diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility initiatives; and more. Each session will focus on a different topic.
These webinars are for public health professionals at the state and local level, nonprofit organizations, academics, researchers, attorneys, and those with a stake in federal actions affecting public health.
Briefings will be held at the same time every two weeks, at 11am PT / 2pm ET, on the following Wednesdays:
- May 14
- May 28
- June 11
- June 25
- July 9
- July 23
Briefing 1: Navigating the Impact of Federal Actions on Public Health Practice
In Briefing 1, Sabrina Adler, vice president of law at ChangeLab Solutions, and Joelle Lester, executive director at Public Health Law Center, provided an overview of the Act for Public Health briefing series, explored the effects of a range of executive actions, and discussed strategy for the current moment. Watch the May 14 briefing.
Briefing 2: Federal Actions & DEIA Initiatives
Katie Hannon Michel, senior attorney at ChangeLab Solutions, and Donya Khadem, Equal Protection Initiative counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund provided an overview of executive orders attacking diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) initiatives and explored how federal agencies have begun to implement them. They also discussed ongoing legal challenges to these orders, as well as strategies and considerations for public health practitioners as they navigate federal actions and their fallout. Watch the May 28 briefing.
Briefing 3: Federal Actions & LGBTQ+ Communities
Wesley Hartman, senior attorney at ChangeLab Solutions, and Christy Mallory, Roberta A. Conroy Interim Executive Director and legal director at the Williams Institute shared an overview of executive orders attacking LGBTQ+ communities and explain the impacts of other federal actions, such as cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. They’ll also discussed legal challenges to many of these actions, along with strategies to help public health practitioners navigate the federal landscape. Watch the June 11 briefing.
Briefing 4: Federal Actions & Vaccine Policy
On Wednesday, June 25 at 11 am PST / 2 pm EST, Allison Winnike, director of the Western Region at the Network for Public Health Law, and Dorit Rubinstein Reiss, professor of law at UC Law San Francisco, will provide an overview of recent federal actions assailing vaccines and describe their impact on vaccine access, infectious disease rates, and emergency preparedness. They will also discuss current legal challenges to these actions, and share strategies and considerations for public health practitioners.