The 2013 State Legislative Landscape: Political and Fiscal Implications for Environmental Health Policymaking

Image: esa.org

This session will explore how recent electoral, economic and budgetary developments will affect state environmental health policy-making in 2013 and beyond. Following the 2012 elections there is an unprecedented number of new lawmakers serving in state legislatures around the country. While the budgetary situation in many states has begun to improve, economic and fiscal uncertainty will continue to impact states’ ability to implement new environmental health programs and policies. Yet despite these changes and uncertainties, state legislatures continue to address a number of important environmental health concerns. This session will begin with an in-depth analysis of the 2012 election results and how they have changed the political landscape in many states. Next, the session review the fiscal health of the states, highlighting state budgetary conditions and measures states are taking to manage funding gaps. With this background, we will review the major environmental health laws that state legislatures have acted on in the past year and prospects for new policies moving forward. Major topics that will be covered include children's environmental health; lead hazards; food safety; indoor air quality issues, including carbon monoxide and radon; mercury; pesticides; and toxic substances in consumer products. Finally, the session will identify innovative environmental health policies that are emerging in the states.