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National MS Society Public Policy Conference

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We are MS activists, speaking with one clear voice to raise awareness about multiple sclerosis and educate elected officials on the needs of people affected by MS. When we raise our voices together, share our stories, and connect with our elected officials to urge action, we can make systemic change. MS activists have always played an important role in driving change for people with MS and beyond. 

The National MS Society’s 2023 Public Policy Conference will be held in Washington, DC on March 6-8, 2023. If you have questions about the Public Policy Conference please visit our FAQ page.

After Your Capitol Hill Visits: You can view pictures from Public Policy Conference here. 
 
Complete the 2023 Public Policy Conference survey to help us continually improve your event experience in the Eventory APP. 

PPC Mobile App

  1. Visit the event registration page
  2. Select "Mobile App" and follow the instructions to download the Eventory mobile app
  3. Log-in using the same name and email that you registered for the conference with.If needed, use the password- reset.
  4. One logged in you should see the PPC event
  5. If you choose guest - and did not use your event registration name and email - you will not be able to find the event.

Agenda

Click here to view the conference agenda (also available in the mobile app)

Logistics

Pre-Conference Webinar: Did you miss the webinar on February 15? View the slide deck or watch the recording.

Accessible Taxi's at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA): Uniformed taxicab dispatchers are available to help passengers with any questions and to assist passengers with disabilities in selecting a wheelchair accessible taxicab. If a wheelchair accessible taxicab is not available within the dispatch system, an accessible taxicab will be requested. Passengers with disabilities are encouraged to contact the taxicab dispatch office 24 hours in advance at 703-417-4333 to make pre-arrangements to ensure these services are available when needed.

Airline Passangers with Disabilities with Bill of Rights: Become familiar with your rights according to the Department of Transportion before your travel. 

Uber Vouchers: Throughout the conference we will be utilizing Uber vouchers to cover travel costs from DCA Airport/Union Station to the event hotel on Monday and Wednesday as well as to/from the hotel and Capitol Hill. Look out for an Uber voucher to be emailed to you at the email address you registered with for use during those times when you are in Washington, DC. To prepare, download the Uber app. Once you receive the email from Uber with your voucher, simply click into the voucher from your phone and it will ask to connect to your Uber account. Allow it to connect to your account. You will then be able to see it in your account in the wallet under the voucher tab. From there you can apply it to the rides to/from airport and to/from Capitol Hill. If you are using these services outside of those dates/locations indicated (ex. On Sunday if you are arriving early or Thursday if you are departing late), you can reimburse any taxi or rideshare expenses after the conference.

Reimbursements: The National MS Society will reimburse your travel costs to attend this meeting. Please keep copies of all your itemized receipts. Following the meeting you will submit your receipts for reimbursement. To help expedite this process, please complete this Volunteer Registration form and email your completed copy to meetingplanning@nmss.org. Please note: Direct Deposit is the Society’s preferred method of payment; however, a paper check can be accommodated. If you prefer a paper check, please leave the ACH Information section blank. Reimbursements may take up to four weeks to be paid. If you do not see your payment in deposited in your account by then, please contact meetingplanning@nmss.org.

Policy Priorities

Capitol Hill visits and Follow Up

Research Your Members of Congress:

  • Visit Congress.gov to look up their voting record.
  • View a list of the Congressional MS Caucus members here.
  • Learn more about whether they supported the MS Research Program (MSRP) in FY 2023. 
Scheduling and Preparing for 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 - contact us at msactivist@nmss.org if you have any questions. 
After Your Capitol Hill Visits:

MS Activist Business Cards

MS Activist business cards are designed to be customized with your personal information and printed in small batches. Here are the steps you need to follow to create and print these business cards:
  • Open the MS Activist Business Card Template PDF file (any file that opens PDF files will allow you to edit the file, such as Acrobat Reader, IE, or Chrome)
  • Click on the blue fillable fields on the top left business card
    • You only need to fill out the fields on one card, the rest of the cards will automatically be populated with the information
  • Complete the fields for Name, Market/Location, and Type of Activist (Line 1 & 2)
    • Type over the existing text in the blue boxes
    • If you don’t have information for these fields, simply delete the existing text from the box, and it will be left blank on the card (the blue field will not print)
  • Add your phone and email contact information
    • Please provide both a phone and email contact – the words “Phone” and “Email” are hard-coded into the template, and will print even if you leave the field blank
  • When you are done entering your information, save the file with a new name
    • For example, name the file <<MS Activist Business Cards John Smith>>

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© 2023 The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is a tax exempt 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Its Identification Number (EIN) is 13-5661935.