Updates About Public Health

State Attorney General Dana Nessel recently joined 16 other state attorney generals in filing a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education over its decision to halt funding for mental health services in K–12 schools. The legal challenge asserts that the Department’s action to discontinue congressionally allocated grants violates federal law, including the Administrative Procedure Act and constitutional protections. These funds were initially approved to support the hiring of school-based mental health professionals in response to growing student needs.

The lawsuit highlights the significant impact of these grants, which helped serve hundreds of thousands of students and expand access to school counselors, social workers, and psychologists. In Michigan, the Department of Education, Grand Valley State University, and Lansing School District were among those affected. Attorney General Nessel emphasized that revoking these resources could worsen the mental health crisis facing schools and deprive students of essential support. The suit seeks to restore the funding and prevent further disruptions to these critical services.

The U.S. Court of Appeals has ruled to uphold the constitutionality of Michigan’s Newborn Screening Program, allowing our state to continue one of its most critical public health efforts. This decision came when the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court ruling and confirmed that the state’s collection and use of de-identified newborn blood samples, used to screen for over 50 potentially life-threatening conditions, does not infringe on constitutional rights. The ruling also protects the BioTrust for Health, a research initiative that supports medical advancement through the use of privacy-protected samples.

Attorney General Dana Nessel and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Director Elizabeth Hertel both praised the decision as a win for families across the state. Since its launch in 1965, the Newborn Screening Program has enabled early diagnosis and treatment for thousands of Michigan infants who might otherwise have gone undiagnosed. With the court’s ruling, the program can continue to detect rare disorders in their earliest stages— when intervention is most effective— while also supporting responsible medical research that may benefit future generations.

According to state Attorney General Dana Nessel, every state and territorial attorneys general in the United States (55 in total) has unanimously agreed to sign onto a $7.4 billion nationwide settlement with pharmaceutical giant Purdue Pharma and its owners, the Sackler family, over their role in the country’s opioid crisis. The agreement, which would resolve years of litigation, marks the largest settlement to date involving names associated with causing the epidemic. It would permanently end the Sacklers’ control of Purdue and bar them from future opioid sales anywhere in the nation.

Michigan could receive up to $154 million over 15 years to fund addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery programs, with most of the funds distributed in the first three years. Nessel highlighted the progress Michigan has already made from previous settlements with over $1.6 billion secured during her tenure, contributing to a 34% drop in overdose deaths between 2023 and 2024. Final approval of the Purdue settlement now depends on bankruptcy court proceedings and local government participation.