Tracking State-Level Health Impact Assessment Legislation from 2012-2016

Joshua Waimberg,Andrew T Campbell,Keshia M Pollack,Ruth Lindberg,Lindsay K Cloud

doi:10.18060/22249

Abstract

Background: To collect and analyze state-level Health Impact Assessment (HIA) legislative activity. Methods: Two longitudinal datasets examining state-level HIA legislation across the United States between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2016 were developed using the policy surveillance process. One dataset captures the characteristics of all HIA bills that were introduced and failed, or introduced and were still under consideration, during the time period of the study; the second dataset captures the characteristics of all HIA laws that were enacted or amended, including statutes and regulations.  Results: Forty-three HIA bills were introduced that require, encourage, or incentivize the use of an HIA, and three of these bills were enacted or amended into law, between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2016. Conclusions: Additional research is necessary to understand the factors that drive success or failure of HIA legislation, and the impacts of such legislation when implemented on decision-making, health determinants and outcomes, and health equity. Policy Implications: Although legislation can encourage further use of HIAs, they need to provide sufficient clarity, guidance, and resources to effectively foster use of HIAs.

Highlights

BackgroundState policymakers recognize that decisions made in housing, criminal justice, and education affect public health and state health care spending — spending that amounts to hundreds of billions of dollars each year across the United States
Some legislation proposed that an Health Impact Assessment (HIA) be conducted for a specific project, such as 2016 MD H.B. 363, which required that an HIA be conducted by a specific date on the deployment of smart meters across Maryland
2015 NY S.B. 902 proposed that an HIA be conducted for all horizontal gas drilling and high-volume hydraulic fracturing activities in New York, while 2015 MN H.F. 3261 proposed that an HIA be conducted for projects involving clear-cutting in Minnesota

Summary

Introduction

BackgroundState policymakers recognize that decisions made in housing, criminal justice, and education affect public health and state health care spending — spending that amounts to hundreds of billions of dollars each year across the United States As legislators aim to reduce costs and improve population health, some are exploring how Health Impact Assessments (HIAs), which assess the potential public health effects of a proposed decision, could be used to better inform state-level decision-making. One straightforward way that legislators can promote HIAs is to require or encourage the practice through legislation. The impact of HIA legislation on government practice, policy making, and social outcomes has not been evaluated. In order to gain a deeper understanding of HIA legislation, and to support evaluation of its implementation and effects, this research captures and analyzes trends in requiring, encouraging, or incentivizing the use of an HIA, including legislation requiring the use of HIA as a tool and HIAs addressing state-level policy, between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2016. Constructed, open source legal datasets that capture key features of state legislative activity can be used for evaluation, and to identify trends in law across jurisdictions and over time

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion