Health Care Legislation

• Identify YOUR state and federal legislators (list five based on your zip code: 2 US Senators, 1 US House Representative, 1 State Senator, 1 State House Representative).
• Select one legislator from your state who has supported health care legislation at the federal or state/local level. Name the legislator, the health care legislation/bill he or she sponsored, and the committee that reviewed the health care legislation/bill (i.e. Special Standing Committee on Professional Registration and Licensing – outdated scope of practice legislation).
• Identify three key speaking points to start a conversation with your legislator/representative: (a) background on the topic using statistics; (b) relevance of topic to patients/constituents in his/her district; (c) the role the APRN and this topic; and/or (d) identify needed policy changes to improve outcomes.
• Identify whether your state has a Regional Action Coalition (RAC) to implement the recommendations of The Future of Nursing and discuss one area of focus of RAC i.e. education, diversity. If there is no RAC in your state, discuss who/how the Future of Nursing recommendations should be/are being implemented.
• Present concluding remarks i.e. member of a professional nursing organization, plans to leverage your knowledge and skills in policy decision making arena, etc.

These websites will help you begin your search for your federal/state legislators and relevant health care bills.

• The United States House of Representatives .
• United States Senate .
• The Future of Nursing .
• Library of Congress/tracks legislation/Bills .
• Locate your State/Federal Legislators from your i-Phone .