Assignment: Public Comment
Instructions for assignment
You will write a 1.5-page public comment on an active (or recently active) public health policy issue. All new rules and regulations, or revisions to existing rules and regulations at the federal level must, by law, open for public comment for a certain period of time. For this assignment, you will search for an active public comment opportunity that is related to public health. You will then take a position on the proposed rule or regulatory change, and support your position with research. You do not have to actually submit your comment, though you are definitely encouraged to do so.
You may write as yourself, or you may take on a role of a person in a particular organization/ stakeholder group.
Evidence-based advocacy is important for regulatory decision-making. Public comments are an opportunity to communicate with government agencies and legislators directly in which you can assert a position or make specific recommendations, based on evidence, to promote the public?s health. These public comments are an essential part of the policy making process and aid agencies in their work.
You can look for comment solicitations in the following places:
Regulations.gov
The Federal Register
The Federal Digital System https://www.regulations.gov
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/collection.action?collectionCode=FR
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/search/home.action
New York State:
https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/legal/regulatory/pc/
https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/legal/regulatory/pccon/
Instructions:
You can choose any regulation, at any agency at the state or federal level to write to as long as the regulation is appropriate to allow you to demonstrate knowledge about public health policy. Commenting on a regulation that is currently open to public comment is encouraged, however, if you cannot find one currently open you want to respond to you may choose a regulation that was open for public comment within the last year or so. You are not required to actually submit your comment to the agency, though you are certainly encouraged to do so.
In your public comment, you should identify the regulation you are commenting on (and provide the link), demonstrate knowledge of the issues under consideration by the agency, take a clear position, make a strong case for your position using evidence to describe the public health problem and potential impact of your recommendation, and recognize and respond to potential criticisms/arguments against your recommendation.
Your public comment should follow the following guidelines:
1.5 pages in length, single spaced
12-point font, Times New Roman
1-inch margins
Use page numbers
Cite all sources consistently and include a reference list at the end (use numeric super-script citations in the text). The reference list is not included in the page limit.- Numeric citations should be at the end of each sentence for the idea/information is taken from any sources.
Example Public Comments:
These are not exactly perfect but are excellent examples of public comment assignment from previous years.
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