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Louisiana Speech-Language-Hearing Association

Advocacy

LSHA Legislative Plan

LSHA Legislative Plan

Mission:

To refine and expand the LSHA systems and resources used in order to, strengthen the future potential efficiency and effectiveness of LSHA legislative advocacy.

Goals of Legislative Action:

  • Improve the visibility of our profession with legislators, the governor and their staffs and to advocate for the rights of persons with communication disorders.
  • Promote the mission of LSHA including the individual and collective interests of the members of the association.
  • Ensure advocacy for the communicatively impaired and professionals serving them across all sectors of service delivery.

Strategies and Activities:

Strategy # 1: Contract with and consult with lobbyist

LSHA may receive a $5000 personnel grant from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association to help fund the association's legislative needs of hiring a lobbyist. This grant is funded under ASHA's Strategic Pathway to Excellence.

Strategy # 2: Ensure legislative focus for all professional sectors (Schools, University, Healthcare, Audiology)

  • Consult with representatives from each professional sector to obtain input on legislative concerns and active participation in advocacy
  • Invite at least one representative from each sector to serve on the legislative committee or as bill readers
  • Develop a list of potential legislative issues across sectors
  • Develop plan to encourage participation from all sectors in the Day at the Capital

Strategy #3: Provide for review of proposed legislation or governmental regulation and initiate advocacy as needed.

  • Review current legislative committee members and bill readers and legislative buddies
  • Invite additional committee members and bill readers: Recommendation for sector consults, List of volunteers from LSHA survey, General invitation through schools and LSHA e-mail list
  • Inform PAC leadership of need to strengthen network of Legislative Buddies
  • Aggressively attempt to recruit legislative buddies for all legislators statewide via repeated email blasts and contacts with PAC board and members
  • Update, maintain & share w/ lobbyist Legislative Buddy roster to include contact info and relationship of contact w/ legislator
  • Identify individuals willing to provide testimony or attend hearings
  • Develop strategies to address all issues over time & prioritize issues for primary focus of lobbyist
  • Develop system to ensure that lobbyist is kept up to date on ALL legislative contacts and advocacy activities
  • Review Bills and Governmental Regulations
  • Promote reciprocal communication which ensures maximum input from lobbyist on strategy/execution & LSHA/SPALS members on clinical expertise to ensure partnership in development/implementation of positions on bills, legislative plan revisions, and action on bills/regulations
  • Notify Legislative Buddies & membership through e-mail lists of action needed

Strategy # 4: Annual Day at the Capitol

  • Survey interested members for potential dates
  • Provide date preferences to lobbyist
  • Schedule date with legislative staff
  • Notify LSHA membership and SPALS leadership of date (mark your calendar); additionally ask Directors to email to email networks which may include non-members; notices to newsletter & website
  • Coordinate/plan for materials and equipment needed (educational materials, gifts, audiology testing booth)
  • Coordinate with SPALS leadership
  • Provide series of e-mail blasts to encourage members & students to participate
  • Develop strategy for increasing mainstream awareness about COMD via local interest stories about COMD prevention, identification, &/or treatment & photographs/ articles on Day at the Capitol using local newspapers & TV coverage