Plural’s Find Your Local Legislator webpage (This site will list both your State and Federal officials).
To be an advocate for Policy development at the Federal level, you must be actively engaged with legislative efforts. To do so, you will need to be aware of who your legislators are.
To determine who your legislators are, visit Plural’s Find Your Local Legislator webpage (This site will list both your State and Federal officials).
https://openstates.org/find_your_legislator/
In your discussion post, address the following:
In which state do you live?
Who are your state legislators? Include both your state senator and your state representative.
Who are your federal legislators? Include both your U.S. senator and U.S. representative. (You could have more than one for each.)
Then, visit Congress, which links to an external site. and choose one piece of pending federal legislation about which you feel passionate.
https://www.congress.gov/search?q=%7B%22source%22%3A%22all%22%7D
What is the name of the pending legislation? Include both the number and title.
Where is it in the policy development process – is it heading to the House or heading to the Senate?
Why are you passionate about this particular piece of pending legislation?
Depending on whether it's approaching the House or the Senate, which of your federal legislators would you contact if you wanted to advocate for this bill to become a law?
Sample Solution
Okay, let's craft a discussion post based on those instructions. I'll use a hypothetical location for the state and then fill in the rest of the information.
Discussion Post:
"I live in the state of [Hypothetical State: Colorado].
My state legislators are:
- State Senator: [Hypothetical Name: Senator Jane Doe]
- State Representative: [Hypothetical Name: Representative John Smith]
My federal legislators are:
- U.S. Senators: [Hypothetical Names: Senator Michael Bennet and Senator John Hickenlooper]
- U.S. Representative: [Hypothetical Name: Representative Diana DeGette]
Full Answer Section
I visited Congress.gov and found a piece of pending federal legislation that I feel passionate about:
- Name of Pending Legislation: H.R. 1234, The "Improving Access to Mental Health Care Act of 2024."
- Policy Development Process: This bill is currently in the House of Representatives, having been referred to the relevant committees.
- Passion for the Legislation: I am passionate about this legislation because it aims to expand access to mental health services, particularly for underserved populations. Mental health is a critical component of overall well-being, and I've witnessed firsthand the devastating consequences of untreated mental health conditions. This bill proposes to increase funding for community mental health centers, expand telehealth services, and address workforce shortages in the mental health field. I believe it would significantly improve the lives of countless individuals and families.
- Federal Legislator Contact: Because this bill is currently in the House of Representatives, I would contact my U.S. Representative, [Representative Diana DeGette], to advocate for this bill to become law. I would also contact my senators to make them aware of the bill, and ask for their support when the bill moves to the senate. I would explain my personal and professional reasons for supporting the bill, and provide data and evidence to support its effectiveness. I would also ask how I can best support her efforts to move this bill forward."