Efforts to Rollback Public Health Authority: Tracking the Legislation and Assessing the Impact

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, legislators in every state have introduced bills that would limit public health authority to respond to the current pandemic or future public health emergencies. Many of these bills have been enacted into law. This legislation could have harmful impacts on public health by restricting the ability of a governor, or state or local health official, to respond to a health emergency in a swift and flexible way.