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Supporting Children, Supporting Children, Youth and Youth and FamiliesFamilies::

Download video trainingDownload video trainingGetting Involved in Getting Involved in

Legislative Advocacy Legislative Advocacy

Workshop GoalsWorkshop Goals Understand the Understand the meaning ofmeaning of advocacyadvocacy

Understand the Understand the process of legislative process of legislative advocacyadvocacy

Acquire the knowledge and tools necessary Acquire the knowledge and tools necessary toto lobby federal, state and local lobby federal, state and local legislators and gain supportlegislators and gain support for policy for policy affecting children, youth and familiesaffecting children, youth and families

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Workshop GoalsWorkshop Goals

Make Politics Work on Make Politics Work on issues that we care issues that we care

deeply about.deeply about.

What is Advocacy?What is Advocacy?Advocacy is the process of creating Advocacy is the process of creating positive change in the lives of positive change in the lives of individuals to protect them from individuals to protect them from harm, insure inclusion in society, and harm, insure inclusion in society, and allow for personal empowerment, as allow for personal empowerment, as developmentally appropriate.developmentally appropriate.


*Paul Williams, Partners in Advocacy, United Kingdom, May 11, 2006*Paul Williams, Partners in Advocacy, United Kingdom, May 11, 2006

Why is Advocacy Important?Why is Advocacy Important?

It is our moral and ethical It is our moral and ethical obligation as human beings, as obligation as human beings, as well as psychologists, to speak well as psychologists, to speak for children, youth and other for children, youth and other individuals who have no voice individuals who have no voice of their own.of their own.


Why is Legislative Advocacy Why is Legislative Advocacy Important?Important?

POLICYPOLICY Share Psychological ResearchShare Psychological Research Enhances Status of PsychologyEnhances Status of Psychology

PROGRAMSPROGRAMS Provides the Potential to Influence Provides the Potential to Influence

LegislationLegislation

FUNDINGFUNDING Provides the Potential to Gain FundingProvides the Potential to Gain Funding

Why is Legislative Advocacy Why is Legislative Advocacy

Important?Important? Implications of Non-InvolvementImplications of Non-Involvement

POLICYPOLICY Lack of Understanding of PsychologyLack of Understanding of Psychology Not Considered Essential ScienceNot Considered Essential Science

PROGRAMPROGRAM Psychology Excluded EntirelyPsychology Excluded Entirely Psychology Included…But With ObstaclesPsychology Included…But With Obstacles Amendments Favorable to Psychology Not Amendments Favorable to Psychology Not

AdoptedAdopted

FUNDINGFUNDING No Funding or Flat-fundingNo Funding or Flat-funding Reduction or Modest IncreaseReduction or Modest Increase

The Federal The Federal Legislative ProcessLegislative Process

The Basics

Understanding the Federal Understanding the Federal Legislative ProcessLegislative Process

Goals and ObjectivesGoals and Objectives

Learn the Basics of the Federal Legislative ProcessLearn the Basics of the Federal Legislative Process Understand How a Bill Becomes a LawUnderstand How a Bill Becomes a Law Understand the Committee Structure and the Role Understand the Committee Structure and the Role

in the Legislative Processin the Legislative Process Learn about Federal Agencies and the Regulatory Learn about Federal Agencies and the Regulatory

ProcessProcess Learn How to Obtain Congressional DocumentsLearn How to Obtain Congressional Documents Download video trainingDownload video training

CongressCongress

535 Members of Congress535 Members of Congress

SenateSenate

100 Members100 MembersAddressed As :Addressed As :SenatorSenator

House of House of Representatives Representatives

435 Members435 MembersAddressed As :Addressed As :Congressman/womanCongressman/womanRepresentativeRepresentativeMr./Ms.Mr./Ms.

The Federal Legislative The Federal Legislative ProcessProcess


General Facts Regarding CongressGeneral Facts Regarding Congress

Lasts for two yearsLasts for two years

Commences in January of the year following the Commences in January of the year following the biennial election of Membersbiennial election of Members

Divided into two sessionsDivided into two sessions Download video trainingDownload video training


Larger (435)Larger (435) Elected every 2 yearsElected every 2 years More restraintsMore restraints Smaller constituencySmaller constituency Specialists (avg 2 Specialists (avg 2

committees)committees) Less media coverageLess media coverage Power less evenly Power less evenly

distributeddistributed Less reliant on staffLess reliant on staff More partisanMore partisan Only the House of Only the House of

Representatives Representatives originates revenue bills originates revenue bills

Smaller (100): 2 from each Smaller (100): 2 from each statestate

Elected every 6 yearsElected every 6 years Fewer restraintsFewer restraints Larger constituencyLarger constituency Generalists (avg 4 Generalists (avg 4

committees)committees) More media coverageMore media coverage Power more evenly Power more evenly

distributeddistributed More reliant on staffMore reliant on staff Less partisanLess partisan Only the Senate consents Only the Senate consents

to treaties and certain to treaties and certain nominations nominations

Differences Between House and SenateDifferences Between House and Senate


A SenatorA Senator Be at least 30 years oldBe at least 30 years old Be a U.S. citizen for the past 9 yearsBe a U.S. citizen for the past 9 years When elected, be a resident of the state When elected, be a resident of the state

they representthey represent Six year termSix year term One-third of the total membership of the One-third of the total membership of the

Senate is elected every 2 yearsSenate is elected every 2 years There is no limit on the number of terms a There is no limit on the number of terms a

senator can serve senator can serve


A Congresswoman/manA Congresswoman/man Be at least 25 years oldBe at least 25 years old Be a U.S. citizen for the past 7 yearsBe a U.S. citizen for the past 7 years When elected, be a resident of the state When elected, be a resident of the state

they representthey represent Two year termTwo year term Download video trainingDownload video training There is no limit on the number of terms There is no limit on the number of terms

a representative can serve a representative can serve


109109thth Congress CongressHouseHouse SenateSenate

RepublicansRepublicans 232232 5555

DemocratsDemocrats 201201 4444

IndependentIndependentss

11 11

VacanciesVacancies 11


Legislation vs. RegulationLegislation vs. Regulation

LEGISLATIONLEGISLATION::

How a bill becomes a public law or private law How a bill becomes a public law or private law

Public laws affect society as a whole and Public laws affect society as a whole and private laws affect a particular person, family private laws affect a particular person, family or groupor group


The Budget The Budget

& Appropriations Cycle& Appropriations Cycle

VSA

Nov to JanNov to Jan Agency budget developmentAgency budget development Jan 20Jan 20 State of the Union addressState of the Union address Nov to FebNov to Feb Preparation of President’s Budget Preparation of President’s Budget FebruaryFebruary President’s Budget releasedPresident’s Budget released Feb to Apr Feb to Apr Congressional Budget Resolution approvedCongressional Budget Resolution approved Jan to AprJan to Apr Appropriations hearings on budAppropriations hearings on bud getget May to JunMay to Jun Appropriations subcommittee allocationsAppropriations subcommittee allocations May to AugMay to Aug MarkMark - -up of House subcommittee appropriationsup of House subcommittee appropriations May to AugMay to Aug Subcommittee, full committee, House passageSubcommittee, full committee, House passage Jun to SepJun to Sep Senate action in subcommittee, full committeeSenate action in subcommittee, full committee Jun to SepJun to Sep Senate action onSenate action on floorfloor Sep to NovSep to Nov HouseHouse-SenateSenate conferenceconference to resolve differencesto resolve differences

Oct 1Oct 1 Fiscal year beginsFiscal year begins

VSA

Entertainment & Humor

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