State Legislatures Research Articles

Digitalization of Regional Policy in the Field of Employment Assistance

The author studies the degree of influence of the state policy on the development of the digital economy on the regional policy in the field of employment assistance in the light of the concept of improving the quality of working life on the example of the subjects of the Russian Federation included in the Ural Federal District: Kurgan, Sverdlovsk, Tyumen, Sverdlovsk regions, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug – Yugra and Yamaloenets Autonomous Okrug. As an empirical material, regional strategies of socio-economic development, strategies in the field of digital transformation of key sectors of the economy, social sphere and public administration, programs in the field of employment assistance, legislation on employment of the population were studied step by step. It is established that in the subjects of the Ural Federal District, strategic planning documents adopted in the field of employment assistance reflect the needs of the digital economy to varying degrees. Most often, such provisions relate to stimulating the active use of a single digital platform in the field of employment and labor relations “Work in Russia”. At the same time, gaps were identified in the formulation of the main provisions of strategic planning documents (goals, objectives, activities, target indicators), as well as inconsistencies between them. For the most part, the maximum level of digitalization is achieved when determining the main directions of development of the regional economy. It is concluded that such an emphasis significantly slows down the process of digital transformation of the sphere of employment assistance. The results of the study allowed us to formulate a number of recommendations that can be used to improve regional state policy and legislation in the field of employment assistance, taking into account the concept of improving the quality of working life.

Political action in the health of transgender people in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.

This article describes the political action repertoire mobilized in the construction of public health policy for trans persons in the Manaus, capital city of the state of Amazonas, in northern Brazil. It is based on ethnographic research combining participant observation in the multiple sites where these policies are constructed and interviews with members of two transgender rights organizations in Manaus, between January 2016 and July 2018. Four modes of political action were reconstructed, as ideal types, named after native categories: those of confrontation, others of "articulation", the ones seeking visibility and others collaboration. Each mode has the local society as public and agents of the municipal and state Judiciary, Legislative and Executive bodies sometimes as adversaries, sometimes as allies.

The Black American Revolution: The American Revolution as Experienced by African Americans

This paper focuses on how the American Revolution mobilized the enslaved and free black population in a way that constitutes a "Black American Revolution." In particular, the enslaved population engaged in multiple efforts for freedom, ranging from fighting in the Revolutionary War to writing petitions to state legislatures. First, I present how the "slavery metaphor" propagated by white Loyalists indicates the inherent differences in how the white and black populations experienced the Revolution. There is an overall discussion of the various methods the enslaved used in their attempts to gain freedom: military service, slave petitions, freedom suits, and escape. I also examine the surge of free black communities as a result of the Revolution, helped by white abolitionist allies. Additionally, the impact the Revolution had on slavery as an institution is assessed in both the North and South. Finally, the overall success of the Black American Revolution is determined.

The Vagueness of the Independent State Legislature Doctrine

The Vagueness of the Independent State Legislature Doctrine

Political Rhetoric Typology in the 2022 US State Legislative Elections

Political Rhetoric Typology in the 2022 US State Legislative Elections

Women in panchayats: The history, the perspective and the background

Women play a key role in India's Panchayat Raj System by serving as Panchayat members and chairpersons. The primary reason for including women in the system was to engage them in national administration and progress. The United Nations (UN) adopted the Convention on Women's Political Rights in 1952 and has organized four World Conferences on Women, the fourth of which was held in Beijing in 1995. This conference declared that women's equal participation in decision-making is not only a requirement for justice and democracy but also essential for ensuring their well-being is taken into account. It also stated that women must have at least a 30% share of decision-making positions. However, the participation of women in politics and public life in India remains woefully low. There is a significant gap between men and women in political activities beyond voting. Women's involvement at higher levels of governance is notably lower compared to their participation at the lower levels. In the domestic sphere, women's leadership and administrative skills are quietly acknowledged, yet they are not given space in the public arena. While other marginalized communities, such as Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, received reservations in Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies, women were not initially granted any reservation in the Constitution of India, which limited their political empowerment.

Recently Proposed Federal and State Legislation To Constrain Pharmacy Benefit Managers Would Not Reduce Drug Costs

Recently Proposed Federal and State Legislation To Constrain Pharmacy Benefit Managers Would Not Reduce Drug Costs

Deference Doctrines and a State Legislative Solution

Deference Doctrines and a State Legislative Solution

Recent State Legislative Attempts to Restructure Public Health Authority: The Good, The Bad, and The Way Forward.

The COVID-19 pandemic spurred legal and policy attacks against foundational public health authorities. Act for Public Health - a partnership of public health law organizations - has tracked legislative activity since January 2021. This article describes that activity, highlighting 2023 bills primarily related to vaccine requirements and policy innovations undertaken in the wake of the pandemic. Finally, we preview a legal framework for more equitable and effective public health authority.

Assessing the Impact of State Legislation on Medical Malpractice Insurance in Nepal

Assessing the Impact of State Legislation on Medical Malpractice Insurance in Nepal

Etnicheskaya i konfessional'naya politika Azerbajdzhana

This article describes the protection and development of the rights and traditions of the national minorities, small-numbered peoples and ethnic groups living in the Republic of Azerbaijan, based on the tolerance principle of the state legislation.

The Long-Term Impact of Kelo v. City of New London: Comparing State Legislative and Judicial Responses

The Long-Term Impact of Kelo v. City of New London: Comparing State Legislative and Judicial Responses

Financing Policy Considerations From Texas to Optimize Care for Children With Medical Complexity.

Texas has a tremendous opportunity and momentum to build a more effective system of care for children with medical complexity (CMC) and their families. This is evidenced by growing collaboration among many committed partners since implementation of the Medicaid STAR Kids managed care program in 2016 and Texas' participation in a US Health Resources and Services Administration-funded, 10-state Collaborative Improvement and Innovation Network to Advance Care for CMC from 2017 to 2022. Texas has several comprehensive health homes for CMC that position the state to serve as a national model of integrated, family-centered care for CMC and ensure high-quality care to an exceedingly vulnerable population. Further, Texas' elected leaders demonstrated their interest in system innovation in 2019 and 2021 by enacting state legislation to explore alternative care models and conduct a health home pilot for CMC. Much more must be done to sustain the work underway and bring the promise of care transformation to reality. To this point, we recommend that care planning and coordination be delegated to provider-led, integrated health homes for CMC with alternative payment structures that appropriately reimburse and align incentives with optimal care delivery. To realize the policy aspirations of an effective system of care for CMC, regulatory oversight, payment models, and outcome measures need to be improved to align with the vision articulated in Texas legislation and agency guidance. Although each state's Medicaid program is different, we believe each state can take away policy lessons from those learned by Texas.

Practical skills and safety requirements in the profession of pyrotechnician

National legislation states that a pyrotechnician is a person who has specialist knowledge and is authorized to handle and use pyrotechnic entertainment items. It is necessary to acquire technical and practical knowledge, but above all the training of skills in the proper use of pyrotechnic articles, taking into account the specific risk and the complexity of the execution of the operations. At INCD INSEMEX Petro.ani, the technical and practical facilities for the organization of qualification courses in the profession of pyrotechnician have been developed, leading to an increase in the level of knowledge and the acquisition of practical skills. In this sense, the infrastructure for teaching and verifying the appropriate acquisition of the disseminated information was developed based on the application of modern pedagogical and psychopedagogical concepts to facilitate the learning process for people who come from a heterogeneous environment from the perspective of age differences and level of studies/ accumulated experience held. The paper highlights the results of the modernization of the methodological and practical infrastructure as well as the technical facilities in terms of optimizing and increasing the quality of the training process for the pyrotechnician qualification.

The rise of anti-vaccination legislation in two Midwestern US states: Implications for politics, policy, and society

Abstract During the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, vaccination became a contested issue between politicians at both national and state levels as well as among the public, which became increasingly polarized over this matter. Across the country, a large number of bills were proposed in state legislatures that had the potential to reduce vaccination rates. This short commentary mapped the growth of anti-vaccination legislation in two Midwestern states: South Dakota and Minnesota. We documented the increased volume and scope of anti-vaccination bills and discussed the implications for politics, health, and society. More specifically, it is likely that similar anti-vaccination bills will be proposed in future legislative sessions, which will impose further challenges on public health officials seeking to restore the public’s trust in vaccines.

Digital image (digital copy of a person) in the system of objects of civil laws: experience of model legislation

The article analyses the provisions of the Model Law for the CIS member states «On Digital Rights» relating to the digital image (digital copy of a person), the rights to which are considered as personal non-property rights. In order to clarify the place of the digital image in the system of personal non-property rights, its distinctive features are characterized in comparison with the citizen’s right to an image. The content of the subjective right to a digital image is characterized. The normative basis of the study was formed by the model legislation for the CIS member states and the national legislation of the member states (in particular, the law of Belarus and Russia). Based on the results of the study, it was concluded that the right to a digital image (digital copy of a person) can be considered as one of the manifestations of the citizen’s right to an image. The model law «On Digital Rights» allows to highlight the features that distinguish a digital image (digital copy of a person) from other forms of protected images (for example, works of fine art, photo and video recordings, etc.), but does not give grounds to consider it outside the existing mechanisms for ensuring the citizen’s right to an image. The author of the article concludes that the content of the right to a digital image (digital copy of a person) does not have any serious differences from the content of the citizen’s right to an image. This is manifested in the similarity in the subject composition, the order of use of the digital image and the image of a citizen, both during his life and after his death, the regulation of the emergence of these objects, the establishment of restrictions on the right of a citizen to a digital image and his own image, as well as the consequences of violation of these rights.

Violence against Women: An Analysis of the Infirmed Legal System of Pakistan

In Pakistan, a woman's life is governed by the rigid norms of her extended family, faith, and tribal community. This paper aims to investigate the philosophy behind gender-based violence, particularly the violence against women and its related customary practices in different areas in Pakistan, in the backdrop of the infirmed legal system of the country. The authors employ descriptive method to scientifically address the concerned issue. The theory of social change, which broadly focuses on the problem, is additionally significant to probe the violence against women in Pakistan. Throughout the country, women are subjected to a wide range of detrimental customs, including forced marriages, religious conversions, and the exchange of women in marriage without their consent. This study looks into why gender-based violence persists in Pakistan, despite the establishment of the state in the name of Islam, a religion that emphasizes women’s equality and respect in the society. By examining all relevant aspects, the study concludes that customary laws are dominant over state legislation in protecting women from violence. The study determines that Pakistan's legal system is flawed, with significant gaps that must be filled by well-structured legislation to ensure women's safety from abuse.

Possibilities and Approaches of European Court of Human Rights and Court of Justice of the European Union in Fundamental Rights Protection in the Context of Environmental Litigation

Two judicial bodies, but both without right to protect the environment established. This is also how the coexistence of the two important judicial bodies located in the European area could be briefly characterized. The European Court of Human Rights and the Court of Justice of the European Union were created for different purposes, but their jurisprudence in the area of environmental protection and the protection of people's lives and health from the negative consequences of climate change overlap more than it might seem at first sight. We find certain similarities in terms of ensuring a certain degree of protection of fundamental rights in the context of the environment. The European Court of Human Rights has a priority in terms of the protection of fundamental rights in Europe, but in the field of the environment it faces several problems. Especially when we are talking about the protection of rights for future generations, where there is no direct victim or direct violation of fundamental rights, only a very high risk of their violation. On the other hand, the Court of Justice of the European Union has a much greater assumption of effectiveness, which has the potential to change the legislation of the member states and thereby indirectly ensure the protection of people's lives and health. Recently, the activity of the European Commission has been increasing in the interest of achieving climate neutrality, and this also means greater pressure on the states in the interest of the complete and correct transposition of European regulations in the field of the environment. In case of deficiencies, the European Commission can intervene by filing a lawsuit according to Article 258 of the TFEU, and achieve the required remedy. Although, such a procedure is not primarily aimed at the protection of fundamental rights, the positive impact on their protection cannot be neglected.

HAGIOGRAFÍA

Catholic schools in Brazil over the past centuries have collaborated and collaborate in the education of countless generations. The Law of Guidelines and Base of National Education (law 9394/96) in its article 19, defines that these schools are called denominational schools and are characterized by their own ideologies. In this way, such basic education institutions follow the state legislation and that of their sponsors. Specifically, some Catholic schools, upon assuming the National Common Curricular Base (2018), began to guide Religious Education according to the non-confessional model established by the BNCC. However, they should expose the explicitly religious proposal, which they did for Pastoral Escolar to demonstrate the Spirituality and Charisma of the Congregations that guide these schools. From this scenario, the Schools of the Scalabrinian Sisters (REDE ESI) and of the Salesian Fathers and Sisters (REDE SALESINA BRASIL DE ESCOLAS), organized a project based on the biography, charisma and spirituality of their founders, a proposal of work with the students. This article is the result of the systematization of these proposals organized from 2016, with the aim of demonstrating the work carried out from documents produced by these groups.

Policies, Leadership, and Funding - Oh, My! How we are working together to improve perinatal care access & integration in Arizona, U.S.

The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate of any high resource country, and it is the only country outside of Afghanistan and Sudan where the rate is rising. The rate of pregnancy-related mortality in the US increased from 7.2 pregnancy-related deaths per 100,000 live births per year in 1987 to 17.2 in 2017. In Arizona, almost half of all pregnancy-associated deaths in 2016-2018 or three out of five deaths were related to mental health conditions or substance use disorder, and 98% of those deaths were deemed preventable with 48.5% of deaths having a good chance to prevent the death. Over 40% of these deaths were accidents or unintentional overdoses. Social determinants of health, system, and community factors have increasingly been acknowledged as contributing factors to the increasing rate of poor maternal health outcomes nationally, yet few states have been able to comprehensively address these issues due to fragmented health and public health systems of care, as well as severe workforce shortages. 
 The State of Arizona launched a series of initiatives beginning or enhanced in 2019 to improve maternal health outcomes for persons of reproductive age in the State, including a grant-funded initiative to strengthen Arizona’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee and to fund prevention efforts. In 2020, maternal mental health was spotlighted by stakeholders as a crisis related to the COVID-19 pandemic. A maternal mental health task force was appointed by the state legislature and funded through a federal grant to bring statewide stakeholders together to identify gaps in care for the perinatal population, improve statewide data on maternal mortality, and to form a statewide action plan to promote and execute innovation in maternal health service delivery including recommendations to the state government for providers and facilities, regulatory and state policy, payers, law enforcement, other systems, public health, and communities.
 While the effort to improve perinatal care statewide has legislative and grant-funded support, the input from individuals with lived experience, healthcare professionals specializing in serving this population, and our community health workers such as peer support professionals, patient advocates, and BIPOC advocacy organizations have been the key to our momentum and successes. Ultimately, a legion of volunteers (primarily mothers) across the state have co-designed improvements that truly meet the needs in close partnership with the state department of health and state medicaid agency. 
 
 Through community and provider participation, workforce development initiatives, compassionate and informed leadership, change management, and policy making, we have developed a comprehensive strategy to expand access to better care across the continuum of providers and facilities involved in perinatal care outcomes in our state. 
 What we’ve learned and achieved through our evolving statewide efforts will contribute to the efforts of others in communities globally who are working to reduce adverse maternal health outcomes. Lessons learned and best practices in capacity building and sustainability will be shared.