MAJOR COMPONENTS AND THEMES OF LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH LAWS IN SELECT U.S. JURISDICTIONS

Local governments address public health issues through regulations based on the extent of authority bestowed by the state. In other jurisdictions, where state law preempts local ordinances, local governments may be obligated to carry out state health regulations while adapting them to address local needs and priorities. The installment of Law and the Public's Health reports on the initial findings of a project supported by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation entitled Building the Base for a Research Agenda on Local Public Health Authority. Through this project, McCarty et al seek to assess the major themes, legal approaches, and effectiveness of local law as a tool to improve public health. Results show that the most predominant issues among the 22 public health topics regulated by the municipalities were garbage collection and disposal, animals, and sewer systems.