4/14/2020 Increase Funding for Federal Public Health Preparedness Programs in FY2021

The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the neglected state of the public health system in the United States. NYSPHA and several other organizations have cosigned a letter urging the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies to include at least $824,000,000 for the CDC's Public Health Emergency Preparedness Cooperative Agreement and at least $474,000,000 for ASPR's Hospital Preparedness Program in the FY2021 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill. These modest increases will have a profound impact on the ability of this country to adequately prepare for the next public health emergency. 

Find more information on this issue in our joint letter to the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies.

4/05/2020 Data Modernization Initiative

NYSPHA has joined 71 other organizations representing patients and consumers, public health professionals, health information technology developers, health care providers, and scientists to call for increased funding for Public Health Data/IT Systems Modernization within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in FY2021. The Data Modernization Initiative has asked representatives to appropriate $100 million in funding for the modernization process. Doing so would allow CDC, state, local tribal, and territorial health departments to replaced outdated data collection systems to more advanced systems. 

Find more information on this issue in the Data Modernization Initiative's letter to Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Chair DeLauro and Ranking Member Cole. 

4/01/2020 Funding is Needed in the FY2021 Budget for Research in Gun Violence Prevention

NYSPHA has joined a list of 200 national, state, and local medical, public health, and research organizations to ask Congress to provide $50 million in funding for research in firearm morbidity and mortality prevention. This money, which would be a $25 million increase from the previous budget, would be split evenly between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health. Funding this research is critical to protecting the health and safety of millions of Americans across the country. 

Find more information on this issue in our joint letters to the House of Representatives and the Senate. 

3/21/2020 Speak for Health: Support Public Health Funding in FY 2021

Adequate funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Prevention and Public Health Fund and other programs that address ongoing public health needs is critical to support a strong public health system. As the U.S. works to combat the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak, a strong public health system is more important than ever.

Take the time to contact your members of Congress and urge them to prioritize public health funding in fiscal year 2021 and in any future legislation to address the current COVID-19 outbreak. 

3/21/2020 Tell the USDA: Stop Weakening School Nutrition

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is launching another attack on the nutritional health of children. The latest proposal would allow students to choose pizza, French fries, and cookies regularly in place of a healthier school lunch. It would allow more French fries in place of carrots in school lunch, more fried hash browns in breakfast, and less fruit in some school breakfasts.

Tell the Trump administration: stop harming kids’ health. Please join CSPI and our public health partners in urging USDA not to weaken nutrition for school children. Fill out this form to make your voice heard! 

Read NYSPHA's letter of support here.