Before you begin advocating a position, have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish. In your support or opposition of a bill, make sure your analysis is accurate. Throughout the process, your coalition partners can assist you in understanding the opposition’s strengths. If an issue is not being addressed, you can ask your elected official to introduce a bill—the best sponsors are the members of the committee of jurisdiction for the issue (this is where your hard work developing contacts really pays off). Alert the media to your issue and any action you are taking on it.
| Process | Legislative Action | Possible Advocacy Action |
| 1. Bill Introduction | The process begins when a bill is introduced in the House or Senate and is assigned a bill number. If a companion bill is not introduced at the same time, at some point in the process a bill will have to be introduced in the other chamber. | New bills will need to be analyzed to assess the impact on people with MS. Determine if National Multiple Sclerosis Society members and the Chapter would support it or oppose it. If you have had your legislation introduced or support a particular bill, you may need to find a sponsor for companion legislation in the other chamber. |
| 2. Committee and Subcommittee Referral | A bill is referred to the appropriate committee that may refer the bill to the appropriate subcommittee for further examination and recommendations. | |
| 3. Public Hearings | Public hearings may or may not take place on the bill. The public, affected agencies and elected officials may testify about the bill’s impact, both positive and negative. | Monitor schedule for hearings and try and get a slot to testify or submit written testimony. Send your testimony to the media to try and get coverage of your issue. |
| 4. Subcommittee Action and Vote | A bill may be accepted unchanged, revised, rejected, or not considered and then it “dies” in subcommittee. Once the subcommittee finishes analyzing and/or changing the bill, a vote is taken. | As the subcommittee moves toward a vote, ask additional members to sign on to the legislation or oppose it. Communicate (calls, letters, faxes, visits, etc.) your support or opposition to subcommittee members. Engage the media in order to put pressure on the subcommittee members to vote your position. |
| 5. Full Committee Referral | If the bill passes the subcommittee, it will then be referred on to the full committee for consideration. | |
| 6. Public Hearings | Public hearings may or may not take place at the full committee on the bill. The public, affected agencies and elected officials may testify about the bill’s impact, both positive and negative. | Monitor schedule for hearings and try and get a spot to testify or submit written testimony. Send your testimony to the media to try and get coverage for your issue. |
| 7. Full Committee Action and Vote | A bill may be accepted as referred from subcommittee, revised, or not considered and then it “dies” in committee. Once the committee finishes analyzing and/or changing the bill, a vote is taken. | As the full committee moves toward a vote, ask additional members to sign on or oppose the legislation. Communicate (calls, letters, faxes, visits, etc.) your opposition or support to committee members. Engage the media in order to put pressure on the committee members to vote your position. |
| 8. Scheduling of Vote and Debate | Leadership decides if and when to schedule a bill for a vote. Once a vote is scheduled, it is up to the leadership (in conjunction with the rules committee) to decide what type, if any, debate will take place on a bill. | As the chamber moves toward a vote, ask additional members to sign on to or oppose the legislation. Communicate (calls, letters, faxes, visits, etc.) with full House, Senate, or Assembly roster to get bill passed or voted down in that chamber. |
| 9. Floor Vote | House or Senate members debate and vote on the bill. If passed, the bill is referred to the other chamber, and the process starts again. | If the bill gets this far, hopefully your hard advocacy work will pay off with a vote in your favor |
| 10. Conference Action | If a companion bill exists and has passed in the other chamber with significant differences, the House and the Senate will select members to meet and work out any differences before the revised bills are voted on in each chamber. | Monitor which members are chosen for the conference committee and communicate (calls, letters, faxes, visits, etc.) your support or opposition to members on the conference committee. Engage the media in order to put pressure on the committee members to vote your position. |
| 11. Floor Vote | Each chamber debates and votes on the revised bill. | Send thank you notes to any members you worked with who supported your position. |
| 12. Executive Action | The President or Governor approves the bill and it becomes law, or the bill is vetoed. | If the bill is signed into law, monitor executive branch implementation so rules and regulations conform to the intent of the law. |