BOSTON, MA – Today, the Massachusetts Public Health Association (MPHA) praised the Joint Committee on Public Health for issuing a favorable report on the Statewide Accelerated Public Health for Every Community Act (SAPHE 2.0). This landmark bill would create minimum public health standards for every Massachusetts community, ensure a qualified workforce by credentialing public health workers, incentivize municipalities to share services, create a uniform data collection and reporting system, and dedicate state funding to support local boards of health and health departments.  

“This favorable report from the Public Health Committee marks an important step forward in the effort to transform our broken local public health system,” said Kristina Kimani, Assistant Policy Director at the Massachusetts Public Health Association. “The SAPHE 2.0 bill contains the critical policy solutions that Massachusetts needs to ensure that all residents benefit from effective public health protections. We are extremely grateful to Public Health Committee Chairs Marjorie Decker and Jo Comerford for their leadership and support, as well as for the unwavering commitment of the bill’s three sponsors, Chair Jo Comerford, Chair Denise Garlick, and Rep. Hannah Kane.” 

MPHA is part of a coalition of local and state officials, public health experts and academic leaders that have been calling on the Legislature to take urgent action to improve the local public health system in Massachusetts.

Read the full release.