Title
A RESOLUTION in support of Foundational Public Health Services funding.
Body
WHEREAS, a responsive and viable governmental public health system is essential for healthy and economically vital communities across Washington, and
WHEREAS, funding core public health services is a fundamental responsibility of the state and is to be implemented through local health jurisdictions, the state Department of Health, the state Board of health, and sovereign tribal nations and Indian health programs, and
WHEREAS, like public safety, public utilities, and other public infrastructure, Foundational Public Health Services (“FPHS”) are core services that must be provided consistently and uniformly in all Washington communities, and
WHEREAS, the governmental public health system in Washington prevents illness and disease by tracking and stopping communicable disease and food and water contamination, prepares and supports recovery from emergencies and disasters, supports maternal child health, access to care, protection from threats including overdose, provides critical health information to all residents, and is essential to protecting the public's health, and
WHEREAS, in 2019, the state Legislature passed and the Governor signed Chapter 14, Laws of Washington 2019, which codified the governmental public health system and the FPHS framework, and support to rebuild and transform public health in Washington State, and
WHEREAS, through the establishment of the FPHS Account, the state invested $300 million in the 2026-2027 biennium to the governmental public health system to partially implement FPHS, and
WHEREAS, Public Health - Seattle & King County ("PHSKC") receives $18.6 million in FPHS funding annually, and
WHEREAS the Governor has proposed a reduction of $29 million in the 2026 supplemental budget, and $20 million in the Vapor Products Tax Account that also funds FPHS has been repurposed, creating a potential 38 percent cut to FPHS statewide; and
WHEREAS a nearly-40-percent cut in FPHS funding as is now proposed in the state legislature will severely curtail PHSKC's ability to respond to outbreaks such as measles and MPOX and tuberculosis cases, provide vital information to healthcare organizations, combat healthcare acquired infections, enroll people in cancer preventing services, prepare for and respond to emergencies such as smoke, wildfires, and floods, develop culturally relevant lifesaving health information in multiple languages, and much more, and
WHEREAS, supporting core public health services today is critical to keeping communities healthy, strong, and resilient for our residents today and future generations;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Health of King County:
The King County Board of Health encourages the Washington state legislature to address Vapor Products Tax account imbalances and maintain Foundational Public Health Service funding that supports the Foundational Public Health Services Account, to promote core public health services in all communities statewide.