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National MS Society Public Policy Conference

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Welcome MS Activists to the Public Policy Conference!

Thank you for participating in the 2019 Public Policy Conference! Make sure you’ve registered for the Conference and reserved your hotel room by February 9th as instructed in the invitation email (except for accessible hotel rooms which must be reserved through Joan Ortt—see below).

When booking your travel to and from the conference please plan to arrive by 2:00 pm on Sunday (March 3) and do not book a flight departing before 7:00 pm on Tuesday (March 5). This will ensure you will arrive on time for the start of the conference and will be able to complete all of your Capitol Hill meetings.  

Pre- Conference trainings

2019 PPC What You Need to Know

  • In this training you will learn helpful tips for making the most of the Public Policy Conference, understand how Capitol Hill works, learn more about the new MS Activist app, and how to craft your story as an MS activist.
  • View the PDF of the slides here
  • View the recording of the training here

2019 Policy Priorities

  • In this training you will learn about the federal priorities you'll work on in 2019 as an MS activist, including policy priorities activists will take to Capitol Hill for the Public Policy Conference, and the congressional committee process. This training is open to all District Activist Leaders, Government Relations Advisory Committee members, and key advocacy volunteers. 
  • View a PDF of the slides here
  • View a recording of the training here

Post-PPC Call

  • Learn about our impact on Capitol Hill and next steps for the Society's priority issues.
  • View a recording of the training here

Join Virtually

Add your voice the the nearly 300 MS activists in Washington, DC March 3-5 by sharing your story with your U.S. Senators and U.S. Representative. 

Agenda

Learn more about the conference agenda.

Conference app

Download the free conference mobile app for iPhone and Android to manage your schedule, learn more about your elected officials, view maps and more. Visit https://crowd.cc/s/1k7F2 to download the app or https://crowd.cc/msactivist to visit an online version of the app. 

To download the app from your mobile phone download the "CrowdCompass Attendee Hub" in your app store. Once downloaded search for "MS Activist" to find the conference app.

Capitol Hill visits

Learn About The Issues:

Congressional Support of MS Policy Priorities:

Preparing for Capitol Hill Visits:
  • Research Your Members of Congress: Congressional profiles and your members’ past support of priority issues are available in the Conference App (see above). Or, you can research members through their official websites and look up their committee assignments and support here.
  • The Legislative Visit Preparation Form is a tool that you may find helpful as you plan your legislative visits. While it’s use is not required, it can be an added check sheet to ensure you have the information you need for a successful meeting.
Scheduling Capitol Hill Visits:
  • Each state has a designated point-person managing the scheduling for that state’s Capitol Hill visits. Please contact your state government relations staff person for more information. Please submit all scheduled visits here. 

Accessibility

  • Download a map of accessible entrances to Capitol Hill.
  • Download a comprehensive ADA guide for the Public Policy Conference.
  • Contact Society staff /Joan Ortt (joan.ortt@nmss.org or 303-698-6100 ext, 15158) to discuss and address all accessibility needs including accessible hotel room reservations, scooter/mobility equipment rentals and accessible transportation. 
  • The conference days have breaks but are fairly long. Hill Day on Tuesday in particular requires a lot of walking—so we encourage individuals to consider reserving a scooter through Joan to manage the long distances and fatigue.  

  • Enjoy one of the break rooms on Capitol Hill:
    House Side
    Location: Cannon House Office Building Room 121
    Hours: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Senate Side
    Location: Senate Russell Office Building Room 188
    Hours: 11:00 am - 4:30 pm

After the Event

Give us your feedback: complete the PPC survey and help us continue to improve PPC year after year to ensure an extraordinary experience.

Reimbursement: The Society pays for all costs associated with your attendance. However, some costs such as travel, baggage fees, tips, etc., will need to be paid for up front and reimbursed after the event. If this is a challenge, we can work with you to find  a solution. Contact Joan Ortt at joan.ortt@nmss.org or 303-698-6100 ext. 15158. 

After the event and before April 8, 2019, email your expense form and receipt back up to NMSSPPC@nmss.org. Meals that are not part of the meeting agenda will be reimbursed at a reasonable rate not to exceed $65.00 per day and alcohol is NOT reimbursable. Reimbursements can take up to 6 weeks to process.

Expense forms can be mailed to:
National MS Society
Attn: Joan Orrt
900 S. Broadway, 2nd Floor
Denver, CO 80209

PPC Photos:
Download a free copy of your PPC photos here. Use the password NMSSDC to access the gallery.

After Your Capitol Hill Meetings:

  • Send a Thank You to Your Congressional Offices: This is a great time to thank and reconnect with congressional staff.
  • One Person Per Meeting Should Complete this Online Feedback Form: Discuss how your members felt about the legislative issues, mention any personal connections to MS you discovered and let us know about any follow-up that needs to be done.
  • Follow up with the offices you met with regarding important deadlines on dear collegue letters. Use this sample language for your emails. 

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