Newsletter
Volume 31 | 2008 | Number 3
Strategy for Governmental Affairs
By Dr. Michael Dorsey
The Governmental Affairs Committee (GAC) of the ABAI Practice Board was established to serve as a resource to practicing Applied Behavior Analysis Clinicians and to work to protect the integrity of the profession. As such, The GAC has adopted the following Mission Statement as a blueprint for the direction and activities it will undertake over the coming weeks and months:
Mission Statement
To represent the interests of practicing Applied Behavior Analysts in governmental matters at both the federal and state level. The Committee is composed of members of ABAI who recommend annual legislative priorities and review statutes and regulations on a federal and state level related to the practice of Applied Behavior Analysis. The Committee is vested in arranging public testimony at legislative hearings, communicating with stake holders and affiliated organizations, and planning an annual public Committee meeting. Through its advocacy efforts, the Committee will help to achieve significant legislation, funding, and programs on the state and federal levels in the support of practicing Applied Behavior Analysts.
Specific activities of the GAC recently approved by the ABAI Executive Council at its winter meeting include:
- The first step was the affirmation by the ABAI Executive Council of the appointment by the Practice Board of Michael F. Dorsey, Ph.D., BCBA as Chair of the Governmental Affairs Committee.
- The next step will be the appointment of 8 members to the Governmental Affairs Committee. Names of potential candidates will be solicited from the membership of ABAI, the Council, the Practice Board, as well as other related ABAI Committees. An international member will be specifically recruited to explore how the Governmental Affairs Committee can be helpful to international members. Appropriate candidates should have experience related to governmental processes. The final list of names will be reviewed by the membership of the Practice Board for approval. This process is anticipated to take up to 30 days to complete.
- The Governmental Affairs Committee will meet within 60 days of the formal creation of the committee in a “virtual meeting,” conducted via the internet.
- Following the formal creation of the Governmental Affairs Committee, the membership will identify and reach out to other advocacy organizations with similar goals to join and/or form alliances (and, in some cases, formal affiliation agreements). Examples include the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), Autism Speaks, the Association for Retarded Citizens (ARC) of the United States, etc.
- The primary priority for the Governmental Affairs Committee will be the support of state and international affiliate chapters as well as ABAI Special Interest Groups, relative to legislative issues which impact their ability to practice. This activity will take several forms and will include:
- The reactivation of the original ABAI Professional Affairs Committee (to be chaired by Tom Zane) as a Sub-Committee of the Governmental Affairs Committee. This will create a nation-wide network to identify a contact person for each state and country affiliate chapter and special interest group;
- Provide training in Governmental Advocacy for all members, both at the annual ABAI conference as well as through a web based training network;
- Assist the state and international affiliate chapters as well as special interest groups in the creation of a process for the identification and prioritization of legislative priorities for their individual state, similar to that described above.
- The Governmental Affairs Committee will create a mechanism for the identification of national issues which will/may impact practicing Applied Behavior Analysts. These will include issues (proposed bills, budget items, policy amendments, etc) impacting areas such as Education, Developmental Disabilities, Research, etc.
- The Governmental Affairs Committee will create a process for the review and adoption, on an annual basis, for a national Legislative agenda for ABAI. The process will follow the model described below:
- A three tiered system that includes one “Priority Bill,” three to five “Supported Bills,” and an undefined number of “Endorsed Bills.”
- At an annual open meeting of the Governmental affairs Committee, held during the ABAI Conference, the members of the Governmental affairs Committee will meet to review and discuss bills submitted by members or stake holders that fall within the scope of our profession and, if enacted, may either enhance or detract from ability to practice;
- The Governmental Affairs Committee will propose a slate of such bills, which will then be submitted to the membership of ABAI via electronic survey to vote
- The Priority Bill will be the center piece of our Legislative agenda. The Governmental affairs committee will notify the sponsoring agencies/legislators of the action taken in identifying the legislation as the Priority Bill for ABAI for the year. This will allow the use of the name of ABAI to be used in all correspondence, etc. related to this bill. Additionally members of the committee will be available to testify at hearings, submit written statements related to the bills, make phone contacts with appropriate legislators, and activate the phone/email alert system to prompt ABAI members to contact their legislators indicating the position of ABAI on this particular bill, etc.
- Three to five Supported Bills will be treated in a similar manner to the Priority Bill, with the exception that committee members will not be available to testify on behalf of the bill(s).
- An undetermined number of Endorsed Bills will be identified which the committee believes are important to the practice of Applied Behavior Analysis, but do not rise to the level of importance which justifies the expenditure of the time or resources focused on the Priority of Supported Bills. The single level of support for bills identified in this category will be to notify the sponsoring agencies/legislators of the action taken in identifying the legislation as an Endorsed Bill for ABAI for the year. This will allow the use of the name of ABAI to be used in all correspondence, etc. related to this bill.
The Governmental Affairs Committee will develop Legislative Advocacy Tool Kit to assist ABAI members in their advocacy efforts. Included in this Tool Kit will be:
- A. An Overview of Legislative Advocacy
This will explain the basics of legislative advocacy, including an overview of the budget process and the legislative calendar; tips and instructions for communicating with your legislators; sample communications and testimony; and other useful information. - B.Providing Testimony
A step-by-step guide to providing verbal and/or written testimony at Legislative hearings. Includes tips and instructions on providing testimony, and sample testimony. - C. Guidelines for Communicating with Legislators in Good Times and Bad
A guide on the importance and best ways of communicating with your legislators on issues vital to your profession. - D. Top 10 Guidelines for Meeting with Policy Makers
- E.Guidelines for How to Write a Letter to the Editor
- F. Learn how the system works...and how you can make it work for you
The ABAI Practice Board will offer resources designed to help members understand the legislative system and how to navigate it. This will provide information about the services available to members and how to obtain them; access tips and instructions on influencing the system; view guidelines for interviewing potential service providers; and more.
Guide to Lawmaking
This document will include a glossary of legislative terms as well as guidelines for how you can participate in the legislative process.
The Governmental Affairs Committee will create a mechanism, both on the national and state levels, for the notification of “Governmental alerts.”
- An “e-mail tree” will be developed which will allow the committee to notify ABAI members (either at the national or individual state level) about governmental issues which require their action;
- E-mails will be distributed soliciting members to write and/or call their local legislator, and to voice their position related to a particular governmental activity (i.e., pending legislation, changes in policy/practice of a governmental agency, budgetary issues, etc.)..
- As noted above, the Governmental Affairs Committee will coordinate an annual open meeting at the ABAI conference in which both the activities, plans, etc. of the Governmental Affairs Committee will be discussed, as well as the selection of the annual ABAI legislative agenda.
- The Governmental Affairs Committee will coordinate a single track conference related to Governmental Affairs issues. Speakers both from ABAI, state/international affiliate chapters, and special interest groups, as well as other organizations such as Autism Speaks or the National Association for Developmental Disabilities will be included.
- The Governmental Affairs Committee will conduct workshops in legislative advocacy at the ABAI annual conference. This meeting will be limited to the “designated” state affiliate chapter representatives and representatives of the special interest groups, and will provide specific training in the Legislative Tool Kit available on the Governmental Affairs Committee web site.
- On rare occasions, and based first on prior consultation ABAI Council and legal staff, the Governmental Affairs Committee may recommend the development and filing of an amicus curiae brief in legal cases which have the potential to directly impact the ability of ABAI members to practice Applied Behavior Analysis;
The Governmental Affairs Committee will maintain a web page, as part of the Practice Board’s web page, to inform and assist ABAI members with respect to governmental affairs. This web page will include:
- A description of the Governmental Affairs Committee, its’ members and activities;
- A listing of the ABAI legislative agenda, with copies of all bills, the status of the various bills, and how members can become actively involved in the legislative process;
- Links to the Legislative Advocacy Tools;
- Links to other ABAI Boards, Sigs, State Chapters, etc.
- A List-Serve for the discussion of governmental related topics among the identified state representatives;
- Updates on new legislative agendas, court rulings, etc. which affect the practice of Applied Behavior Analysis.
It is the consensus of the members of the ABAI Practice Board that, while federal legislative issues that impact the practice of Applied Behavior Analysis are very important and will require the attention of the GAC, the vast majority of legislative issues that impact our field are at the state level. The costs in time and money to establish a permanent GAC/ABAI office in Washington DC was seen as an unwarranted expenditure of ABAI funds at this time. The Board recognizes the need to have a presence in Washington and will join with Disability Consortium Organizations. Following the formal creation of the Governmental Affairs Committee, the membership will identify and reach-out to other advocacy organizations with similar goals to join and/or form alliances (and, in some cases, formal affiliation agreements). Examples include the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), Autism Speaks, the Association for Retarded Citizens (ARC) of the United States, etc.
Concerning position statements, the Government Affairs Committee has been authorized by the ABAI Executive Council to “use judgment to pass ABAI Practice Board/GAC Position statements that are approved that the Practice Board, without need for Council or ABAI membership approval.” In those cases when the Committee believes it necessary to have an ABAI Council approved position statement, the GAC will make the request and the Council, who will act upon the request in an expeditious manner. For matters that affect the core believe and foundations of the Association, a vote of the membership will continue to be required.