• Lobbying
- Collaborate with association's executive board and/or government relations committee to:
• Identify and define organization's objectives, goals, needs and concerns
• Assist in defining organization's position on relevant public policy issues
• Identify and classify potential allies (coalition building potential)
• Identify and classify likely opposition and define their positions
• Develop support information (issue papers, research projects, public relations materials)
• Determine and analyze what is obtainable (realistic goal-setting)
• Formulate an outline and plan of action
• Manage issues during the legislative session, including:
- Work with legislative leadership and staffs
- Recruit and negotiate with sponsors for legislation
- Develop effective strategy for successful implementation
• Work with legislative committees and key legislators individually
• Coordinate efforts with coalitions
- Develop "grass roots" programs to educate membership on legislative efforts and to encourage becoming active through contacts with their legislators
- Encourage support for the association's Political Action Committee
• Bill Tracking
- Monitor and data base state and federal legislative and regulatory activities
- Provide timely legislative updates to membership through newsletters, bulletins and the internet
• Political Action Committees (PACs)
- Collaborate with association's executive board to develop a PAC
- Handle all state and federal report filing and bookkeeping requirements
- Work with PAC to determine and project contribution amounts and distributions
• Reasons for PAC:
- A Political Action Committee association is allowed to gather funds to be legally distributed in an organized systematic manner
- Members get the most effective use of their funds
- PAC's display a clear message to members and legislators that the association is actively involved in the legislative process