Anti-Racism in Public Health Act of 2025
The Anti-Racism in Public Health Act of 2025 would amend the Public Health Service Act to create a new federal public health framework focused on structural racism and police violence. It establishes a National Center on Antiracism and Health within the CDC, led by a director with experience working in racial and ethnic minority communities, and directs the Center to treat racism as a public health crisis, study how racism affects health, and develop and disseminate antiracist interventions.
The bill also creates a law enforcement violence prevention program within CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. That program would research the public health impacts of police violence and uses of force, collect and standardize data, fund research and community-based interventions, and report annually to Congress on findings and recommendations. Both sections authorize such sums as necessary for implementation, and the bill requires public reporting, data collection, and coordination with other federal, state, local, tribal, and academic entities.
If enacted, the bill would add new sections to the Public Health Service Act and expand CDC’s responsibilities into research, surveillance, grants, and public education on structural racism, health inequities, and police violence. It would create a new CDC center, a police violence prevention program, a data clearinghouse, regional centers of excellence, and reporting obligations, while also directing consultation with tribal governments and other agencies. The bill would affect federal public health policy more than state law directly, but it would likely influence state and local health departments, law enforcement data practices, and grant recipients through new research and reporting standards.
The available record shows no committee transcript and no votes, so there is no documented floor or committee sentiment to assess. Based on the bill text and sponsor list, the measure appears to be framed as a public health and racial equity initiative supported by its Democratic and progressive sponsors. The overall tone of the legislation is affirmative and programmatic, emphasizing research, prevention, and data-driven intervention rather than punitive enforcement.
The main points of contention are likely to be the bill’s framing of racism and police violence as public health issues, the creation of a federal center explicitly dedicated to antiracism, and the use of federal resources for research and grants in these areas. Critics may object to the bill’s terminology, its policy assumptions about structural racism and policing, or the potential burden on law enforcement and data systems. Supporters are likely to emphasize health equity, better data collection, tribal consultation, and evidence-based interventions to reduce disparities and violence.