The policy statement development process is how APHA addresses external policy matters. It is intended solely to develop recommendations for the policy guidance of others.
These guidelines, adopted by the Governing Council, are to give direction to the Association's policy statement development process by setting forth principles to govern, and outlining procedures to guide, the coordinated participation of all parties. The Executive Board is charged to monitor operation of the policy statement development process, to assure adherence to the principles set forth here and to report any procedural modifications adopted to facilitate the development of more valid public policy for APHA. The Joint Policy Committee is charged with overseeing the annual policy statement development process. Note: Only APHA members may submit proposed policy statements.
Explore these resources to learn more about the policy statement development process:
About the Joint Policy Committee (PDF)
Policy Statement Development Process Policies and Procedures (PDF)
Author Guidelines (PDF) *Updated as of September 2023
Proposed Policy Statement Evaluation Criteria (PDF)
How APHA policy statements are developed (a Public Health Newswire Q&A)
Timeline
2024
2024 Policy Statement Development Calendar (PDF)
2024 Policy Statement Gaps (PDF)
Submission Guidelines
2024
For review in the 2024 cycle, proposed policy statements must be submitted to policydevelop@apha.org by 11:59 p.m. ET on Feb. 16, 2024 (deadline extended).
When submitting a proposal, authors MUST complete and attach. Please be sure to review the updated author guidelines for formatting and content requirements:
- Policy Statement Proposal Checklist (Word file)
- Author Disclosure Statement (Word file) for each author
- Sponsorship and Collaborating Unit Letters (if applicable)
All supporting documents must be provided at the time of submission to be considered in the review process. Late proposals WILL NOT be accepted.
Questions about the policy statement development process? Email us.