Public Health Law Center

Public Health Law Center Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Public Health Law Center, Lawyer & Law Firm, 875 Summit Avenue, Saint Paul, MN.

Collaborates to reduce and eliminate commercial to***co, promote healthy food, support physical activity, pursue climate justice, and address other causes of chronic disease.

HIPAA's public health exception allows health care providers, health plans, and other "covered entities" to disclose pro...
06/12/2026

HIPAA's public health exception allows health care providers, health plans, and other "covered entities" to disclose protected health information to public health authorities to help prevent and control disease, injury, or disability. Our latest resource provides an overview of the exception and how it applies to State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial public health agencies: https://www.publichealthlawcenter.org/resources/what-hipaa-public-health-exception

For generations, Big To***co has minimized the health risk of its products while working to addict new users for profit....
06/04/2026

For generations, Big To***co has minimized the health risk of its products while working to addict new users for profit. The industry’s latest tactic of promoting “harm reduction” is no different. True harm reduction efforts are public health-led, evidence-based, and designed to mitigate the risks of dangerous drug use through controlled interventions. Our latest resource offers strategies for responding to the to***co industry’s harm reduction messaging: https://www.publichealthlawcenter.org/resources/harm-reduction-misinformation-commercial-to***co-control

Join us on Thursday, June 11 at 1 PM CT for the first webinar in a series focused on public health data sharing at the l...
05/27/2026

Join us on Thursday, June 11 at 1 PM CT for the first webinar in a series focused on public health data sharing at the local level.

In partnership with , , and , this session will explore common legal questions raised by local health departments on data sharing topics and review how to access free legal and policy technical assistance.

Register today via the link in our bio.

On May 5, the FDA authorized fruit-flavored e-cigarettes for the first time. While the agency claims that these products...
05/21/2026

On May 5, the FDA authorized fruit-flavored e-cigarettes for the first time. While the agency claims that these products could help reduce youth use through biometrics and ongoing device surveillance, the move raises concerns about personal data and marks a troubling shift away from effective policymaking. Learn more about the potential public health impacts of this decision here: https://www.publichealthlawcenter.org/commentary/260520/5/20/26-fda-just-put-fruit-flavored-vapes-market

Flavored to***co products continue to drive youth to***co initiation and use while federal regulation efforts remain lim...
05/20/2026

Flavored to***co products continue to drive youth to***co initiation and use while federal regulation efforts remain limited. In response, local jurisdictions have adopted their own sales restrictions. Join us on Wednesday, 6/10 at 1 PM CT for an overview of our latest nationwide scan of to***co product flavor laws and a demonstration of our new interactive map, providing a geographic visualization of these laws. Register here: https://www.publichealthlawcenter.org/webinar/nationwide-update-flavored-to***co-product-sales-restrictions

In March 2026, the District Court in Maryland upheld Montgomery County’s “Comprehensive Building Decarbonization” law in...
05/12/2026

In March 2026, the District Court in Maryland upheld Montgomery County’s “Comprehensive Building Decarbonization” law in National Association of Home Builders et al. v. Montgomery County. The court cited an amicus brief from the Public Health Law Center, which helped clarify the legislative history and purpose of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA). One week later, another Maryland court cited the same brief to uphold a state law also aimed at reducing building emissions.

Our latest commentary explains how the Center uses amicus briefs to help courts understand the broader public health and health equity impacts of a case. Learn more here: https://www.publichealthlawcenter.org/commentary/260429/4/29/26-using-amicus-briefs-protect-public-health

In June 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services shared personal data on millions of Medicaid enrollees, inclu...
05/07/2026

In June 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services shared personal data on millions of Medicaid enrollees, including immigration status, with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for immigration enforcement purposes. In response, 22 states and D.C. sued the federal government, challenging the HHS decision to break from its longstanding practice of limiting inter-agency data sharing.

This ongoing lawsuit raises concerns about the potential effects on public health if people cannot trust government agencies to protect their data. Medicaid recipients may be less likely to share information with healthcare providers, which could lead to poorer health outcomes. This mistrust can also limit public health programs' ability to respond effectively to community-wide health incidents such as infectious disease outbreaks.

Learn more: https://www.publichealthlawcenter.org/commentary/260415/4/15/26-protecting-medicaid-data-california-v-us-department-health-and-human

The DOJ is suing Minnesota to block its consumer fraud lawsuit against major oil companies— a climate accountability cas...
05/05/2026

The DOJ is suing Minnesota to block its consumer fraud lawsuit against major oil companies— a climate accountability case that would cost Big Oil billions, force changes in marketing practices, and expose internal documents.

In a conversation with Emily Sanders, our Executive Director, Joelle Lester explains how this lawsuit builds on Minnesota's history of holding corporations accountable. Its 1998 lawsuit against Big To***co was "transformative for public opinion," forcing companies to disclose evidence of their disinformation campaigns.

Although there are similarities between the cases, the DOJ's recent actions have been unprecedented. She says, "The federal government did not behave this way around to***co [litigation]...In this case, [protecting] the industry interest seems to be the only priority.”

Read more here: https://www.exxonknews.org/p/the-trump-administration-comes-to

In March, the Center filed an amicus brief in Ohio v. Central To***co supporting the state’s efforts to stop the sale of...
05/01/2026

In March, the Center filed an amicus brief in Ohio v. Central To***co supporting the state’s efforts to stop the sale of illegal flavored e-cigarettes. Our brief argues that federal law does not preempt state action and emphasizes the critical role local consumer protection laws play in protecting public health by reducing access to illegal to***co products. Learn more in our lit tracker: https://www.publichealthlawcenter.org/litigation-tracker/ohio-v-central-to***co-2024 and our commentary post: https://www.publichealthlawcenter.org/commentary/260407/4/3/26-public-health-law-center-backs-ohios-effort

Happy ! At the Center, we work to improve the living conditions for everyone by addressing to***co product waste, adva...
04/22/2026

Happy ! At the Center, we work to improve the living conditions for everyone by addressing to***co product waste, advancing building electrification efforts, and expanding access to parks and green spaces to support community health.

Learn more about our work: https://www.publichealthlawcenter.org

Address

875 Summit Avenue
Saint Paul, MN
55105

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Public Health Law Center posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category