CANP Government Relations Advocacy Program 
Grassroots Legislative Guide

Sign up now to be a GR Advocacy Team Member, a supporting voice for NPs

Please provide the following information to sign up to be a nurse practitioner GR Advocate. It is important to provide your ZIP+4 if itis not already listed since that information is necessary to match you with your legislators, and connect you with the legislative coordinator in your region. We will then be able to communicate with you quickly and be able to easily pass on important information so that you can respond.

Read a letter from Susanne J. Phillips, MSN, FNP, State Government Relations Director and Laura Miller, FNP, National Government Relations Director.

When volunteering as a GR Advocacy Team Member, we will organize the information for you, advising you where bills are being currently heard, and what information is needed from us. As a GR Advocacy Team Member, we encourage you to become familiar with your legislators, both on the state (assemblypeople and senators) and federal (representatives or senators) level. We will advise you which bills we are focusing on, and will advise you on background information, including suggested letter content when appropriate. An important webpage on California government is http://www.leginfo.ca.gov

The Government Relations Advocacy Team Member (Formerly known as Key Contact/Grassroots Legislative) Manual was developed, to help with the process of how to effectively influence legislation. Items included below are:

• Effective Communication; Legislative visits/Letter writing/Calling
  
• California Legislative Process
  
• Procedure for Bills
  
• How a Bill Becomes a Law

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Key information to note when responding to a GR communication:

• Bill number and author.
  
• Key points of the bill.
  
• Our position - support or oppose.
  
• Significance to NPs.
  
• Where the bill is now - e.g., For State-Assembly or Senate committee.
  
• Where the bill will go next.
  
• Most effective communication-i.e., phone, letter, fax.
  
• Effective time frame of communication.
  
• When the bill will be heard.
  
• Who to contact next:(1) State Assemblyperson or Senator.(2) Committee chair/member or Congressional Representative or Senator.(4) The Governor.

VISITING LEGISLATORS

• Make an appointment indicating the amount of time you would like to have with your legislator.
• If the legislator is unavailable, meet with the legislative aide responsible for health issues. These individuals are often well-informed on health care issues and can relay our issues to the legislator and influence her/him.
  
• Be on time.
• Know as much as possible about the person you are trying to influence - e.g., party affiliation, committee assignments and position on Nurse Practitioners.
• Know the facts on all sides of the issue(s) you came to speak about. Don't get sidetracked into other issues.
• Don't be afraid to admit ignorance on special points. Say you will find the answer and report back. AND BE SURE YOU DO!
• Remember that the Nurse Practitioner issues in which you are so interested may not be as important to the person you are interviewing unless you are able to make them so. It is helpful to relay actual stories of your practice in educating elected officials about what you do. Invite the legislator to your practice site to see you in action. Show/tell them how you increase access to care, and provide quality care, etc.
• Try to avoid any prolonged controversial argument. It is likely to confirm the legislator in her/his own opinion.
• If possible, don't permit a legislator to commit themselves definitely against your position. It is better to leave them undecided than committed against you. Someone else may be able to change their mind later.
• Restrict yourself to just a few issues per visit. A broad sweeping agenda will leave the impression that you are unfocused.
• Whenever possible make a specific request of the legislator, i.e., sign onto a bill, give advice for reaching others, etc. This gives them something tangible to respond to.
• If you know a legislator favors your position, let them know that you are aware of that fact and ask them for advice and help on reaching other legislators. This is VERY important. Leave the legislator with a friendly feeling, even if they turn you down. Say you are sorry you can't agree and do not emphasize the difference of opinion.
• Leave the way open for another interview.
• Visit the legislator in her/his home office if possible.
• Be aware that your interview may affect a later vote even if it does not have an apparent effect on the one under consideration.
• Do not take notes during the interview. As soon as you finish the meeting, find a quiet place and make your notes. Don't depend on your memory.
• Be sure to express your appreciation for any support the legislator has given.
• Leave when your allotted time has ended. Do not stay so long that the legislator has to signal your departure.
• Thank the legislator for the interview.
• Within one week after your visit, send your legislator a letter thanking them for their support/advice/time.
• Please send the CANP State or National GR Director a summary of your visit.

Record of Legislative Visit

Record the following information for each legislative visit:

1. Name and title (e.g., Senator or Assemblyperson) you met with.
2. Was this their first meeting with a Nurse Practitioner?
3. Did you have to spend a lot of time explaining what a NP is and what our issues are?
4. If yes, explain.
5. What issues were discussed?
6. How would you characterize their understanding and support for inclusion of NPs in health care? Supportive, opposed, neutral/needs more info.
7. Your name:
   Complete Address:
   Phone Number/FAX/Email

Return this record to the CANP State or National GR Director. Thank you!

CALLING/COMMUNICATING TO LEGISLATORS

How to address them properly in writing:

U.S. Congress
The Honorable John Smith
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator Smith

The Honorable Jane Brown
US House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Representative Brown
or
Dear Congressman/Congresswoman

State Legislature
The Honorable John Smith
Member of the Senate
State Capitol City, State Zip
Dear Senator Smith

The Honorable Jane Brown
or
Senator John Smith
or
Assemblywoman Jane Brown
Member of the Assembly
State Capitol City, State Zip
Dear Ms (Miss or Mrs.) Brown
Assemblymen should be addressed as Mr.

Phone calls are most effective for bills in Washington DC. The capitol switchboard for federal legislation is 202-224-3121. State your name, affiliation, and purpose for calling . Advise the staffer what action you'd like taken; follow the format as for a letter. Emails and letters remain effective means of communication regarding bills as well.

DO

• Write legibly, including your address/ phone/email on communications
• Be brief and to the point, using correct grammar and spelling.
• List the specific bill in question, giving reasons for supporting or opposing it. You may include newspaper articles or editorials that support your view. Double check your information to make sure it is accurate.
• Use your own words and avoid the appearance of a form letter, preferably on your own stationary.
• Send information to heads of committees that will hear bills if requested, timing is vital in the political process.
• Express appreciation to the legislator on actions which you found supportive.

Don't

• Be long-winded
• Adopt a righteous tone.
• Demand anything.
• Be rude or threatening (remember that you may be asking
• for favorable votes in the future).
• Mention more than one bill in a letter

Also Don't

• forget that relatively few phone calls, emails or letters often have a heavy impact. Focused communications carry much more weight than one long one.
• remind the legislator that you are a taxpayer.
• apologize for writing or for taking valuable time.
• be vague or deceptive.
• write only to those lawmakers who either agree or disagree with you.
• send carbon copies of letters to other legislators. Make them all look like originals. use form letters.
• even hint that you think there is something sleazy or dishonorable about the art of politics-even if you do feel that way.
• assume that every legislator is an expert on every issue.
• make the letter so personal that your practice could be scrutinized and, if not functioning correctly, be sanctioned.

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATIVE PROCESS

State Legislature
Senate: 40 members; 4 year term, limit of two terms.
Assembly. 80 members; 2 year term, limit of three terms.

Regular Session
Convenes on the first Monday in December of each even numbered year and continues until November 30 of the next even numbered year (biennium session).

Special Session
May be called by the Governor and is limited to a specific subject. Length is not limited and may be held concurrently with a regular legislative session.

Effective Date of Laws
January 1 of the following year (unless specified).

Procedure for Bills

Introduction
The bill is introduced by a Senator or Assembly Member, read for the first time (the Clerk reads the bill number, the name of the author and the descriptive title of the bill to the Senate or Assembly), and assigned to a committee by either the Senate or Assembly Rules Committee.

Policy Committee
Hearings are held in the policy committee (e.g., Senate Business & Professions and Assembly Health) and testimony is taken from proponents and opponents. Generally, the committee will then amend, pass, or fail to pass the bill. If the bill has no appropriation request, it goes directly to second reading if approved by the policy committee.

Fiscal Committee
Any bill that asks for an appropriation of money must be approved by the fiscal committee in addition to the policy committee. The fiscal committee may consider the policy area of the bill as well as its fiscal impact. A majority vote is required for passage of a bill from this committee.

Second Reading
Bills that are passed by committee are read a second time in the house of origin and sent to the full floor for debate.

Floor Debate (In house of origin.)
The bill is read a third time, debated and voted on. Most bills need a majority to pass (21 in Senate, 41 in Assembly). Bills with urgency clauses, appropriation measures, and some tax-related bills need a 2/3rds majority (27 in Senate, 54 in Assembly). If the bill is passed, it is sent to the second house.

Second House
Procedures to pass the second house are similar to consideration and passage in the house of origin.

Amendments:
Should the second house pass a bill with amendments, the bill must be passed a second time by the house of origin for concurrence. If the amendments are rejected, a conference committee is formed to negotiate the differences between the two houses.

Governor
The Governor must act on (sign or veto) any bill which passes the Legislature within 12 days during a legislative session. However, the Governor has 30 days within which to act at the end of the biennium. Bills not acted on by the Governor automatically become law. A two thirds vote of the Legislature is required to override a Governor's veto.

HOW A BILL BECOMES LAW

The route a bill takes through the California Legislature

Step1
Concerned citizen, group, organization or legislator suggests legislation.

Step 2
Senator (legislator) authors bill.

Step 3
Legislative Counsel drafts bill.

Step 4
Drafted bill returned to senator.

Step 5
Senate Desk bill introduced, numbered, read first time.

Step 6
Rules Committee assigns bill to committee.

Step 7
Bill printed.

Step 8
Committee Hearings
No action for 30 days after introduction and printing.
Typical recommendations:
1. Do pass.
2. Pass with amendments.
3. Amend and re-refer

Step 9
Second reading
1. Read, engrossed, to 3rd.
2. Read, amended, to print, engrossed to 3rd.
3. Read, amended, to print, re-referred to committee

Step 10
Third Reading:
1. Roll call vote.
2. 21 votes (normal bill).
3. 27 votes (urgency/appropriation).

Step 11
If passed by Senate, delivered to Assembly Desk.

Step 12
Introduction and first reading.

Step 13
Rules committee assigns bill to committee.

Step 14
Committee hearings (see step 8).

Step 15
Second reading (see step 9).

Step 16
Third reading. Roll call vote.
(1) 41 votes (normal bill).
(2) 54 votes (urgency/appropriation).

Step 17
Returned to Senate. If not amended goes to step 19.

Step 18
If amended, Senate concurs or if refuses to concur; if non-concurrence, goes to conference committee of 3 members from each House.

Step 19
To Enrollment (if Senate or conference committee concurs or if not amended in Assembly).

Step 20
To Governor-12 days to sign, approve without signature, or veto. Vetoed bills must be overridden by 2/3rds vote of both Houses.

Step 21
To Secretary of State (chaptered)

Step 22
Becomes law on January 1 next following a 90-day period from date of enactment (bills with urgency clause take effect immediately).

Note:
This chart depicts the flow of a bill originating in the Senate; except for minor differences the process is similar if originating in the Assembly.