The National Program Office for Public Health Law Research launched LawAtlas.org in October 2012. This webinar will look at two unique datasets constructed using the LawAtlas Workbench system, and will demonstrate the complexity and value of systematically collecting and coding statutes, regulations and case law. Sarah Happy, JD will present “Wages and Health,” a dataset of state and federal minimum wage laws from a 30-year period that examines the role of minimum wage rates as a social determinant of health. Steve Latham, JD, PhD will share “Criminalization of HIV Transmission and Exposure,” a dataset that compiles data from HIV/AIDS-specific criminal statutes and reported cases that use the defendant’s HIV status as an element of crime as a reason to elevate or enhance a charge or as a factor in justifying enhanced sentencing.
Introduction:
Joan Naymark, JG Naymark Demographics Moderator:
Damika Webb, JD, Legal Analyst and LawAtlas Manager, Public Health Law Research Presenters:
Sarah Happy, JD, Legal Analyst, Public Health Law Research Steve Latham, JD, PhD, Director of the Yale Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics
News
Report Card for America’s Infrastructure
Once every four years, America’s civil engineers provide a comprehensive assessment of the nation’s major infrastructure categories in ASCE’s Report Card for America’s Infrastructure (Report Card). Using a simple A to F school report card format, the Report Card provides a comprehensive assessment of current infrastructure conditions and needs, both assigning grades and making recommendations for how to raise the grades. An Advisory Council of ASCE members assigns the grades according to the following eight criteria: capacity, condition, funding, future need, operation and maintenance, public safety, resilience, and innovation. Since 1998, the grades have been near failing, averaging only Ds, due to delayed maintenance and underinvestment across most categories. View the interactive report card here.
New Census Flows Mapper Shows County-to-County Moves Across U.S.
According to U.S. Census Bureau statistics, across the country, 47.3 million people lived in a different house a year earlier and 17.3 million of them lived in a different county within the U.S., according to information the U.S. Census Bureau released on migration. These findings were released in a series of County-to-County Migration Flow Tables, which come from data collected by the American Community Survey between 2006 and 2010.
To help users understand and interact with these statistics, the Census Bureau has developed an online mapping tool called Census Flows Mapper. This application allows users to select a county in the U.S. and view the outbound, inbound and net migration flows for that county. Additionally, users can choose flows based on characteristics such as age, sex, race or Hispanic origin. Get more information here.
Sunshine Week Legislation
Sunshine Week has grown from a day of freedom of information commemoration to a week-long celebration of government openness, and the public’s right-to-know. The Congress and agencies have also gotten in on the action, and the spirit of the week brought several legislative proposals to the table. Read more here.
Population Bracketology
Get in on the madness of March and test your knowledge of the U.S. population. The U.S. Census Bureau has released “Population Bracketology,” an interactive data visualization allowing users to fill out their own bracket based on comparisons of state and metro area populations. The objective is to pick the larger population between two metro areas or states. Visitors can click on the name in each matchup that they think has the larger population. See how close you can come to a perfect score of 63. At the end, visitors can mouse over their choices to see the actual population estimates or view the data table. Read more here.
National Center for Education Statistics Updates the International Data Explorer
The International Data Explorer provides results for the United States and other jurisdictions (including both countries and education systems). Results include mathematics and science achievement of fourth- and eighth-grade students for TIMSS and reading achievement of fourth-grade students for PIRLS. Also included are responses to a student questionnaire about their background, attitudes, and school experiences; responses to a teacher questionnaire about instructional practices, resources, and background and training; and responses to a school questionnaire about school characteristics and resources. Read more here.
Notable Data Publications
Each week, the APDU Data Update identifies recent statistical data releases of interest to APDU members.
Did you work on a great report that you want your colleagues to know about? Just email us and we’ll include it here.
Calls for Comment
APDU maintains a list of open calls for comment on proposed federal data collections. We periodically alert APDU members to newly added calls for comment. Over the last several weeks, calls for comment on the following proposed data collections were published in the Federal Register (with due date):
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, HHS
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey– Insurance Component (April 19, 2013)
