State Activities & Engagement: Your Inside Track to Influence! (On-Demand Webinar)-State Activities & Engagement (HANDOUT)

State Activities & Engagement (HANDOUT)

Pdf Summary

This document summarizes a presentation by Christine Seitz, Manager of Government Affairs, and Sierra Sharpe, Director of Professional Development, focused on advocacy and engagement in state legislation for protecting professional interests, specifically for hearing aid specialists. The presentation delves into navigating state legislative and regulatory processes, emphasizing the importance of advocacy and building relationships with legislators.<br /><br />The state legislative process includes introducing bills, committee reviews, floor actions, potential conference committees, gubernatorial approval, and enactment. The regulatory process involves directives from the legislature, proposed rulemakings, public comments, and rule adoption.<br /><br />Advocacy is crucial due to potential bills that could deregulate professions or alter the scope of practice that legislators may not understand fully. Advocacy strategies include developing relationships with state officials, attending public meetings, subscribing to informational newsletters, hiring lobbyists, directly contacting legislators, and participating in advocacy events. <br /><br />Building legislative relationships involves understanding legislators' roles, communicating consistently and professionally, engaging through events, providing data-driven information, and offering expertise.<br /><br />Advocacy days or "Fly-In" events are recommended for meeting legislators, with emphasis on effective communication, event promotion, and follow-up. Meanwhile, the document cautions against unpreparedness, relying on single methods of communication, aggression, ignoring relationship building, making assumptions about policymakers' understanding, and failing to listen or follow up.<br /><br />When facing opposition, it's advised to understand opponents and highlight success stories proactively. Introducing a bill involves engaging a supportive legislator, drafting with assistance from government affairs staff, and following the legislative process.<br /><br />Recent state activities influencing the profession are highlighted, such as deregulation bills, insurance mandate proposals, scope of practice bills, and regulatory changes, illustrating the continuous need for vigilant advocacy in protecting professional interests.

Keywords

advocacy

state legislation

hearing aid specialists

regulatory process

legislative relationships

deregulation

scope of practice

Fly-In events

professional interests

government affairs