Legislative Advocacy Tips

1. Legislative Advocacy Tips An overview of how to get your ideas made into law in California Presented By: Evelyn Abouhassan Legislative Advocate Protection & Advocacy, Inc.

2. Transforming Ideas into Law What are the key pieces to the puzzle? • Discovering a problem and seeking the legislative solution • Developing the Bill Idea • “Shopping” for the Author • The Committee Process • Dealing with the opposition or potential opposition • Getting the Bill signed into Law

3. Discovering a problem and seeking the legislative solution AB 468 What is the problem ? Children referred for AB 3632 mental health services do not receive timely assessment and services under the AB 3632 program.

4. Discovering a problem and seeking the legislative solution How did we seek to solve problem? Sought to revise current law so that a parent could have an opportunity to consent to the mental health assessment for their child at the same time that the parent consents to referral for AB 3632 services, thus shortening the timeline and allowing the child to receive services sooner.

5. Developing the Bill Idea • Drafting the language by looking at the current state and federal law for guidance • Get the language to legislative counsel by finding a friend in the legislature to submit the language

6. “Shopping” for the Author • What does it mean to shop for an author? • Meet with legislators. • Explain the importance of the issue and the bill to legislators that have an interest in the topic.

7. “Shopping” for the Author Assembly Bill 468 PAI staff met individually with staffers of legislators that had an interest in mental health related issues, explained the problem and proposed solution

8. “Shopping” for the Author Assembly Bill 468 • Assembly member Yee, a psychologist who has an interest in mental health issues and is a member Assembly Appropriations Committee agreed to author the bill.

9. The Committee Process • The bill gets referred to committees- the committees that the bill gets referred to is based on several factors.

10. The Committee Process • Topic- AB 468 involved health and education issues so it was referred to the health and education committees. • Cost-the bill was tagged by legislative counsel as having a potential cost to the state so it was referred to the appropriations committee.

11. The Committee Process Getting the bill out of committees • Testimony by interested parties, consumers, family members, and lobbyists as to the need for the bill • Letters by constituents and lobbyists as to why the bill, if passed, would be good or bad policy. • Lobbyists meet with staff on bills.

12. Dealing with the opposition or potential opposition • The key is to try to reach a consensus if it is possible. • Complete consensus is almost never possible, although there are compromising and non-compromising points

13. Getting the Bill signed into Law • Meet with the administration and discuss the focus of the bill and address with staff the issues that may be raised by potential opposition

14. Getting the Bill signed into Law • Send letters to the Governor and the staff analyzing the bill, explaining the bill and urging signature

15. Getting the Bill signed into Law • Urge grassroots organizations to support your bill and write letters supporting that the bill be signed into law.

16. Transformation Complete • You have now transformed your idea into law. • Let’s do it again and again!