Research / Health & Human Services
Policy Analysis | March 2021
Coronavirus Impacts on State Legislatures: 2021
Last updated: March 2, 2021
As of March 2, 2021, approximately 2.5 million people worldwide, including 511,000 Americans, have died from the coronavirus pandemic. On December 11, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved an emergency use authorization for Pfizer/BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine. On December 18, 2020, the FDA issued an emergency use authorization for the Moderna vaccine for use in individuals 18 or older. On February 27, 2021, the FDA issued an emergency use authorization for Johnson & Johnson’s single dose vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed a recommended schedule for states to administer these vaccines. As of March 2, approximately 79 million vaccinations have been administered in the United States. Against this backdrop, Southern legislatures are convening for their 2021 legislative sessions.
This SLC Policy Analysis, updated on a weekly basis, tracks the special measures that Southern legislatures are adopting in order to meet safely in 2021.
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Policy Analysis | February 2021
Spread of COVID-19 within Regions of the United States
Last updated: February 26, 2021
A multitude of governmental, private and nonprofit research entities are closely monitoring the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the novel coronavirus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)1,2 – across the United States on city, county, state and national levels. Originally, at the outset of the pandemic, a limited amount of research existed for how the virus circulated on a regional basis.3
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Policy Analysis | February 2021
Unemployment in the SLC Region Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic
Last updated: February 19, 2021
Disclaimer: On November 30, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported that the U.S. Department of Labor has inaccurately reported the number of people filing for unemployment benefits during the pandemic. Due to the historic number of individuals filing for benefits since March, and states' frequent backlogs processing the claims, the traditional method of reporting unemployment has not accurately captured the number of unique individuals claiming benefits, according to the GAO report. For example, if a person files for five weeks of benefits in a given week, the Department of Labor typically counts it as five separate claimants, not one. This method of reporting normally is a reliable proxy for the number of unique individuals claiming benefits, but it cannot account for states' processing delays and claimants retroactively applying for benefits during the pandemic.
This SLC Policy Analysis will continue updating the figures as they are reported weekly by the Department of Labor. While the absolute figures may not be accurate, the trend levels remain helpful for understanding the overall employment outlook.
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SLC Human Services & Public Safety Committee
2020-2021
Chair
Senator
Katrina Shealy
South Carolina
2020-2021
Vice Chair
Representative
Fredrick J. Love
Arkansas
Immediate
Past Chair
(former) Senator
Doug Overbey
Tennessee
Ensuring the public's general welfare and protection are among states' most pressing concerns, with both areas constituting considerable shares of state budgets. The SLC Human Services & Public Safety Committee has a broad agenda, which takes into account the challenges states face in the areas of human services and corrections, as well as policies and programs that address them. The committee frequently undertakes assessments of pressing health issues including the national opioid crisis, organ donations and long-term care, as well as various corrections issues such as aging inmate populations, female offenders and mental health parity in prisons.
More SLC Research into Health & Human Services
Policy Analysis | February 2021
Policy Analysis | December 2020
Webinar | September 2020
Webinar | July 2020
Webinar | July 2020
School-Based Health Centers: Ensuring Student Access to Care – During the Pandemic and Beyond
Policy Analysis | July 2020
Policy Analysis | June 2020
Policy Analysis | June 2020
SLC Regional Resource | May 2020
Policy Analysis | January 2020
Other | December 2019
Policy Analysis | November 2019
SLC Regional Resource | November 2019
Policy Analysis | August 2019
Comparative Data Reports | August 2019
Adult Correctional Systems, Education, Medicaid and Transportation
Policy Analysis | May 2019
Policy Analysis | April 2019
SLC Regional Resource | April 2019
Policy Analysis | April 2019
Policy Analysis | January 2019
Other | January 2019
SLC Issue Brief | October 2018
Policy Analysis | September 2018
Policy Analysis | August 2018
Comparative Data Reports | July 2018
Adult Correctional Systems, Education, Medicaid and Transportation
SLC Regional Resource | May 2018
Policy Analysis | April 2018
Efficacy and Adverse Effects of Medical Marijuana: An Overview
SLC Special Series Report | December 2017
Comparative Data Reports | July 2017
Policy Analysis | April 2017
Webinar | February 2017
SLC Special Series Report | January 2017
Webinar | July 2016
Comparative Data Reports | June 2016
Adult Correctional Systems, Education, Medicaid and Transportation
Policy Analysis | June 2016
SLC Regional Resource | May 2016
Policy Analysis | May 2016
Policy Analysis | April 2016
SLC Regional Resource | March 2016
Policy Analysis | January 2016
State Authority to Admit Refugees: Background and Recent Developments
Policy Analysis | November 2015
Webinar | October 2015
Policy Analysis | September 2015
Policy Analysis | June 2015
Policy Analysis | May 2015
Policy Analysis | May 2015
SLC Regional Resource | April 2015
Policy Analysis | February 2015
February 2015: The Status of Medicaid Expansion in the SLC States
Policy Analysis | January 2015
SLC Issue Alert | October 2014
Webinar | October 2014
Policy Analysis | August 2014
Comparative Data Reports | July 2014
Adult Correctional Systems, Education, Medicaid, Revenue and Transportation
Webinar | July 2014
In the Weeds: Exploring the Science around Medical Marijuana and the Operation of a State Program
Policy Analysis | May 2014
State Efforts to Reorganize and Reform Child Welfare/Social Services Agencies
SLC Regional Resource | March 2014
Webinar | October 2013
Policy Analysis | October 2013
Comparative Data Reports | July 2013
Adult Correctional Systems, Education, Medicaid, Revenue and Transportation
Policy Analysis | July 2013
Reduction of Early Elective Deliveries for Medicaid and SCHIP Recipients
Webinar | May 2013
Food Safety Modernization Act: Impacts for Farmers, Producers and States
Webinar | March 2013
Webinar | December 2012
The Meningitis Outbreak and the Regulation of Compounding Companies: Federal and State Roles
SLC Issue Alert | October 2012
Policy Analysis | September 2012
Comparative Data Reports | July 2012
Policy Analysis | June 2012
Policy Analysis | March 2012
Policy Analysis | September 2011
Comparative Data Reports | July 2011
Adult Correctional Systems, Education, Medicaid, Revenue and Transportation
Article | July 2011
Policy Analysis | May 2011
Policy Analysis | November 2010
SLC Regional Resource | July 2010
Policy Analysis | March 2010
SLC Regional Resource | January 2010
Policy Analysis | January 2010
Policy Analysis | October 2009
SLC Issue Alert | January 2009
Comparative Data Reports | July 2008
Adult Correctional Systems, Education, Medicaid, Revenue and Transportation
Policy Analysis | March 2008
Policy Analysis | February 2008
Comparative Data Reports | November 2007
Comparative Data Reports | November 2006
Adult Correctional Systems, Education, Medicaid, Revenue and Transportation
Comparative Data Reports | November 2005
Adult Correctional Systems, Education, Medicaid, Revenue and Transportation
Comparative Data Reports | July 2004
Adult Correctional Systems, Education, Medicaid, Revenue and Transportation
Comparative Data Reports | July 2003
Adult Correctional Systems, Education, Medicaid, Revenue and Transportation
Comparative Data Reports | July 2002
Adult Correctional Systems, Education, Gaming, Medicaid, Revenue and Transportation
Comparative Data Reports | November 2001
Adult Correctional Systems, Education, Gaming, Medicaid, Revenue and Transportation
SLC Regional Resource | April 2001
Comparative Data Reports | November 2000
SLC Regional Resource | November 2000
Southern States' Safe Child Abandonment Laws and Proposed Legislation