California is poised to protect workers from extreme heat—indoors
Only two other states have adopted heat rules for indoor workers. Nationally, legislation has stalled in Congress, and a process initiated by the Biden administration to establish national heat standards for outdoor and indoor work could take years to finalize.
Strengthening Medicaid should remain a national imperative
COMMENTARY | Congress and state lawmakers should do everything in their power to ensure that anyone who needs Medicaid now and in the future is able to get it.
In new year, all immigrants in California may qualify for Medicaid regardless of legal status
New enrollees will join more than 655,000 children, young adults through age 25, and adults 50 or over who have already signed up for Medi-Cal through previous expansions to residents lacking legal authorization.
LA County invests big in free virtual mental health therapy for K-12 students
The teletherapy effort is aimed at helping overburdened schools cope with a surge in demand for mental health services.
You’re not tripping: State and local leaders give psychedelics another chance
More than 50 years after policymakers started cracking down on the hallucinogenic drugs, states and cities are now embracing them as a way to treat mental health disorders.
Mayors urge ATF to finalize rules to expand background checks
The proposed rules would close the “gun show loophole,” which is one of several loopholes that currently allows one-fifth of all the guns sold in the nation to be sold without background checks.
On the Agenda 2024: State and local issues to watch
Here are the 10 biggest challenges government leaders will confront in the new year.
‘They see a cash cow’: Corporations could consume $50 billion of opioid settlements
Businesses are swarming state and local governments to pitch products and services that they claim can help address the opioid crisis, but experts warn profit-driven companies could be after a share of opioid settlement cash.
Millions in opioid settlement funds sit untouched as overdose deaths rise
Nationwide, state and local governments have received more than $4.3 billion as of Nov. 9. How much of that has been used remains uncertain due to states’ lack of public reporting. But from what is known, it varies.
2 million women, children risk losing WIC food assistance, study says
Unless Congress increases funding for the program by $1 billion, states will have to start turning people away around March.
With youth overdose death rates soaring, state offers free opioid reversal medication to schools
The initiative comes amid a spike in the number of teens who have died from drug overdoses in the last five years.
EPA proposes all lead pipes be replaced within 10 years
The requirement would be a “massive unfunded mandate,” said a group representing local water utilities. But it does give cities, particularly those with lots of lead pipes, some leeway.
Help for rural governments tackling the opioid crisis
The Reaching Rural Initiative helped officials in Harnett County, North Carolina, develop an opioid emergency response plan and a program to direct formerly incarcerated individuals to treatment.
How a different kind of drug testing can help communities stave off overdoses
Insights from advanced drug-testing services are proving essential for public health officials struggling to contain an evolving crisis.
Study: Gas-powered lawn mowers and leaf blowers produce as much pollution as long car trips
A report from the Maryland Department of the Environment report recommends that state and local governments promote the use of electric lawn equipment instead of air polluting tools like leafblowers.
New health care grants look to reform how hospitals are paid
The program wants to increase primary care for Medicare and Medicaid recipients while reducing hospital and emergency room visits.
How paid sick leave helps cure economic instability
Cities and states are enacting paid leave policies that prevent low-wage workers from choosing between rest and recovery or work and a paycheck.
Evolving overdose crisis shakes previously effective treatments
Synthetic drugs are killing more Americans as they render treatment options less effective.
Sununu’s ‘Recovery Friendly Workplace’ serves as model for new national institute
A new national institute will provide training and resources for companies willing to hire and help people in substance-abuse recovery, and the White House's model legislation will help states create recovery-ready workplaces.
‘Tripledemic’ dashboards set health agencies up for flu season
COVID, influenza and RSV—oh my! Fall and winter bring an increase in respiratory illnesses, so state health departments are revamping their COVID dashboards for enhanced insights into their communities’ health.
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