legislative letter and talking points
Explore healthcare policy issues that impact advanced practice nursing, identify current issues that affect the workplace and workforce for advanced practice nursing, identify current legislative initiatives that impact the nursing profession and healthcare in general, and research and participate in a health-related legislative initiative with the student’s legislators (Unit II objectives).
The Talking Points/Letter is an assignment that has two parts – the development of a “talking points” document and a letter to your Legislator. Be sure to review the guidelines for the Talking Points and Legislative Letter before you begin.
Be sure to note that if you are writing your Senator or Representative in Washington, DC, you must address a bill for the 113th Congress and not the 112th or earlier sessions. If you decide to write your Legislator that represents you in your State Capital, be sure you choose a bill currently being discussed in your State Legislature. If your State Legislature is not in session, you will need to select a federal bill.
Also, be sure to remember that you cannot ask your Federal Legislators – Senator and/or Representative in the House of Representatives – to vote on a bill that your State Legislators vote for in your State Capitol. Your State Legislators cannot vote on a bill that is under consideration in Washington, DC.
Your Senator (Federal) cannot vote on a bill that is under consideration in the House of Representative and your Representative for the House of Representative cannot vote on a bill under consideration in the Senate. (The same is true for your State chambers).
You can ask your Senator to consider sponsoring a similar bill that is under consideration in the House of Representatives in the Senate Chamber if there is a bill before the House that you would like to see in the Senate or vice versa.
Be sure to check the sponsors and co-sponsors of the bill to see if there is bipartisan support. Note what bills Democrats and/or Republicans support and which ones they co-sponsor. Check to see if your Representative is in line with the other Representatives in your state. The same is true for your Senators.
Check to see if there is a companion bill.
The assignment includes a title page, legislative letter, talking points and a reference page, followed by merged turnitin report. All must be submitted as a single document. The assignment requires that you have a running head and page number for all pages, even though when you send to your Legislator you will remove the title page, running head and page numbers. The grading rubric is on the last page following the assignment guidelines.
Guidelines for Legislative Letter
The purpose of this business formatted letter is to become actively involved in the legislative process as it relates to health policy advocacy. For this assignment, you will be asked to select a bill that impacts nursing, the patients that nurses care for, or a healthcare related issue.
You should address the letter to one of your elected officials using their correct title. You may use the resources listed in the course to find out whom your elected Senator or Representative is and your senate or house district in which you reside, if you do not know. There is a resource link posted in the unit lessons on how to address officials (in case your selected legislator has multiple titles).
The letter should include the short title and number of the bill as well as the name and number of any companion bill in the other branch of the legislature.
If the legislator you are writing is a co-sponsor of the bill, you should thank them for supporting this bill, if you are in favor of it. If the legislator is not a sponsor, you should ask them to consider supporting the bill. (Do a similar statement if you or your legislator opposes the bill.)
Next, you should identify yourself as a nurse in their district. You may also state that you are pursuing an advanced nursing education and should indicate any other meaningful liaisons to organizations that are related to the bill and tie in those memberships to show your interest and expertise in the area of the bill (i.e. for a bill that would allow Medicare reimbursement for a type of cancer screening you could state, “I have been a member of the American Cancer Society for five years and have become aware of how significant this type of screening would be to the patients in the Alabama.”). You must make a statement of support or opposition and a give few general statements or reasons supporting your view.
You should also give a short “down home” story related to the problem that the bill is addressing. In other words, relate a short case study of a patient that you have taken care of that would have benefited from this bill, or perhaps a family member or friend who might have had a better outcome if this legislation were in place. Do not make up any stories, however. You should always be truthful.
You should refer them to the statistics in your “Talking Points” page that will accompany the letter.
Be sure to give your contact information at the top of the letter (use standard business letter format including the date). The letter should be single spaced, no more than 2 pages in length, and should close with your name and title. You should also indicate that the legislator may contact you for any questions or information needed related to the bill. Refer to grading rubric on last page.