Administrative law touches nearly every aspect of modern life, and many areas of public health practice are, in fact, specialized fields of administrative law. Administrative law guides the regulation of food safety, water quality, housing conditions, pharmaceuticals and chemicals, occupational safety and health, and medical practice, among other areas. It governs implementation and enforcement of public health policies and programs from retail licensing and lead paint inspections to quarantine orders and eligibility and disbursement decisions for public benefits like Medicaid and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Ultimately, state, tribal, local, and territorial health agencies exercise extensive powers vis-à-vis individuals and private entities.

Because of the reach and intensity of these powers and the possibility of severe infringement on the rights of individuals, it is important for public health practitioners to understand administrative law and recognize key principles and procedural rules when exercising public health powers. This perspective informs the latest set of Public Health Law Academy courses — The ABC’s of Administrative Law in Public Health Practice: Parts 1 and 2.

Part 2 Webinar
In the second of two webinars, National Association of County and City Health Officials, (NACCHO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Public Health Law Program, and ChangeLab Solutions will explore the key procedural rules that guide common responsibilities of public health agencies. Speakers will discuss their on-the-ground experiences in applying administrative law principles, including examples that are relevant to practitioners working across disciplines in health departments and in a variety of jurisdictions. Participants will have the opportunity to engage with speakers in a Q&A session at the conclusion of the webinar.