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This document was produced in cooperation withthe Turning Point National Program Ofce at the University of Washington.
TurningPoint
Collaborating for a New Century in Public Health
September 2003Presented by thePublic Health Statute Modernization National Excellence Collaborative
Model State Public Health Act
A Tool for Assessing Public Health Laws
 
September 16, 2003Dear Public Health Supporter:We are pleased to present the Turning Point Model State Public HealthAct. This product is the result of a three-year effort by the Turning PointPublic Health Statute Modernization Collaborative to develop a tool for state,local and tribal governments to use in improving their public health statutesand administrative rules.Public health has existed as a fundamental public service carried out by governments in the United States for more than 200 years. Public healthlaws have long been considered an essential tool of public health practice,dening the responsibilities of individuals and the duties of government to actfor the health of society.Many existing state public health codes were built in layers during the20
th
century in response to specic diseases or health threats. Due to varyingdiseases and other health threats that may affect population groups and tochanges in health systems, government structures, and other laws, publichealth laws in many jurisdictions are outdated. These laws may be ineffectivein responding to contemporary health threats.Although experts have recommended statutory reform to improve the public health system since the 1980s, a straightforward model has not beenavailable. The Public Health Statute Modernization Collaborative was formedin April 2000 to address this need. Funded by the Robert Wood JohnsonFoundation as part of its Turning Point Initiative to strengthen the publichealth system in the United States, the Collaborative is a multi-disciplinarygroup comprised of representatives from ve states and nine nationalorganizations and government agencies, assisted by experts in specialty areasof public health. The Alaska Division of Public Health is responsible for coordinating the Collaborative. Individual representatives to the group and theconsultants who assisted in the development of this product are listed in theintroductory material accompanying the Act.The Collaborative does not advocate that the Model State PublicHealth Act presents a mandate to states, nor that it be “swallowed whole.” TheModel State Public Health Act is intended as a means for state, local andtribal governments to assess their existing public health laws and identify thechanges they deem necessary. The Act strives to address modern conditionswhich impact public health; incorporate modern scientic developments inthe areas of disease control and epidemiology; equip public health ofcialswith a range of exible powers needed to control infectious diseases andother conditions; dene relationships among public health agencies and other  partners in the public health system; and comport with current legal standardsof privacy, due process, and risk assessment.The emergence of new health threats during the time the Collaborativewas involved in this project have made the need for modern, exible publichealth laws even more apparent. We hope the Turning Point Model StatePublic Health Act proves to be a useful tool for improving the ability of the public health system to carry out its responsibilities.Sincerely,Patricia Nault, MPAAlaska Division of Public HealthPublic Health Statute Modernization Collaborative Coordinator 
TurningPoint
Collaborating for a New Century in Public Health
 A National Program Supported by The Robert Wood Johnsonand W.K. Kellogg Foundations
T
URNING
P
OINT
: C
OLLABORATING
 
FOR
 
A
N
EW
C
ENTURY
 
IN
P
UBLIC
H
EALTH
P
UBLIC
H
EALTH
S
TATUTE
M
ODERNIZATION
C
OLLABORATIVE
 Alaska Turning Point 
Deborah Erickson, BS,
Chair 
Cheryl Kilgore, BA
Colorado Turning Point 
Denise Hase, CPAAveril Strand, MSN
 Nebraska Turning Point 
David Palm, PhDMary Munter, RN, BSN
Oregon Turning Point 
Kathryn Broderick, MPATom R. Engle, RN, MNGrant Higginson, MD, MPHJerry Street, MPA
Wisconsin Turning Point 
Terry Brandenburg, MBA, MPAStephen Braunginn, BS, MAElizabeth Zelazek, RN, MS
Turning Point National Program Ofce
Ray (Bud) Nicola, MD, MHSA
 American Public Health Association
Barbara Hatcher, RN, MPH, PhD
 Association of State and Territorial  Health Ofcials
Kevin E. Charles, BA
 National Association of County & City Health Ofcials
Donna Brown, JD, MPHDouglas Nelson, MSW
 National Association of Local  Boards of Health
Lee K. Allen, MCPO USN (
R 
ET
)Vaughn Upshaw, DrPH, EdD
 National Governors Association
Joan Henneberry, MS
 National Conference of State Legislatures
Tracey Hooker, MSHALisa Speissegger, BS
F
EDERAL
A
GENCY
L
IAISONS
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Heather Horton, JD, MHAAnthony Moulton, PhD
 Health Resources & Services Administration
Karen Thiel, PhD
A
DVISORS
Guthrie S. Birkhead, MD, MPHKristine Gebbie, DrPH, RNJames Pearson, DrPH Nancy Thomann, MPHTeresa Wall, MPHRobert Wallace, MD
C
ONSULTANTS
Lawrence Gostin, JD, LLD (Hon)James Hodge, Jr., JD, LLMMyra Munson, JD, MSW
L
EAD
S
TATE
C
OORDINATOR 
Patricia Nault, MPAAlaska Division of Public HealthP. O. Box 110610Juneau, AK 99811-0610(907) 465-8617FAX (907) 465-8637
 Patricia_Nault@health.state.ak.us
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