2025 Session Theme – Public Health Law Topics for Boards of Health and Health Departments

OPEN TO ALL BOARD OF HEALTH MEMBERS AND STAFF

IF YOUR TOWN IS A MEMBER OF A SHARED SERVICES ARRANGEMENT, YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR FEE REIMBURSEMENT OR DIRECT BILLING FROM YOUR SHARED SERVICES PROGRAM* LEAD COMMUNITY IF YOU ARE A BOARD MEMBER, OR FOR STAFF, AS ALLOWED UNDER THE PUBLIC HEALTH EXCELLENCE GRANT PROGRAM – Please Chose on Registration Form

*If you want to learn more about Shared Services Program — Click –> Shared Services | Mass.gov

These are in-person sessions only. 

Course Fee: $100  – Includes Breakfast, Lunch & Snacks

• April 5th  –  Hotel 1620, 180 Water Street, Plymouth, MA
• April 26th  – Hotel Northampton, 36 King Street, Northampton, MA 
• May 10th  –  Courtyard Hotel, 75 Felton St, Marlborough, MA   

Session Times: 8:30 AM – 4:00PM  -Breakfast and Registration is 8:15AM – 9:00AM

Topics will include:

• Legal Authority of Boards of Health
• Hearings, Orders, and Enforcement
• Governance: Open Meeting, Public
• Record Requests, Disruption
• A “Deep Dive” Into the Effects of SAPHE 2.0 on Local Boards of Health
• Case Studies in Tobacco, Cannabis, Synthetics
• Opioid Settlement Updates
• Environmental Case Studies
• Nuisances/Noisome Trade Siting
• Litigation Updates and Important
• Decisions from the Supreme Judicial Court
• and More!!

This program is an approved expense for Shared Services Collaboratives

Breakfast, Lunch and Snacks will be served

DOWNLOAD the 2025 AGENDA

Register by filling out the form at the bottom of this page

• Note that cancellations of the fee will be accepted up to 10 days prior to the meeting.  Email lynda.ritacco@mahb.org or call 1-508-643-0234 to cancel. 

As members and staff of Boards of Health, a comprehensive working knowledge of public health laws, regulations and bylaws for State and local jurisdictions is a critical competency for ensuring a capable public health system.  This Certificate Program will provide you with the fundamentals of public health law so that you might be better able to understand, provide guidance, and enforce the laws, regulations and bylaws using the local jurisdictional authority granted to you as a BOH member or BOH agent.  The MAHB Legal Handbook provides an excellent textbook for this program and should be used as background reading.   Through your local town and city membership in the MAHB, you should have access to the online MAHB 2022 Legal Handbook (205 pages). Click Here for TOC – Legal Handbook Please consult with your BOH Chair, Health Department Director or Administrator for your Legal Handbook access codes.  If you have difficulty accessing the Legal Handbook, call the MAHB Helpline (1-508-643-0234.) or complete the Helpdesk online form by going to Contact – Massachusetts Association of Health Boards (mahb.org).

REGISTRATION – If you have any difficulty registering using the form below, please call Lynda Ritacco at 1-508-643-0234 or email her at lynda.ritacco@mahb.org leaving your full name, town and contact email.  You may also register more than one individual by calling.  You will receive an invoice for the one-time course via email where you will be able to pay by mailing a check, using a debit, credit card or paypal.  You may also select an option to leave the email of your town’s administrator.  Remember that the fee will be covered by Towns that belong to a Shared Services Grant Program.

Course Directors and Organizers

Use the form below to register for the 2025 MAHB Certificate Program.