To: ABAI State Affiliate Chapters Governmental Affairs Representatives
Members of the ABAI PIBA SIG
From: Michael F. Dorsey, Ph.D., BCBA, Chair, Governmental Affairs Committee
Re: ABAI Legislative Agenda
I am writing to inform you of the newly established process adopted by the ABAI Practice Board to prepare a comprehensive agenda of critical bills for ABAI. The process, as described below, begins with the submission of bills recommended to be considered by members of ABAI as well as key constituents, to the Governmental Affairs Committee of the Practice Board. While bills may be submitted to the GAC at the annual meeting, it is my hope that you will forward copies of any bills you wish to have considered to our email address at abaipracticeboardgac@gmail.com in advance of the meeting so that the members of the GAC will have time to review the bills prior to the meeting.
The GAC will be meeting in a joint meeting with the ABAI PIBA SIG on Saturday, May 23, 2009 at 7:30 PM in North 224A. Please join us for this open meeting.
Governmental Affairs Committee
ABAI Practice Board
Legislative Review Process
1. The Governmental Affairs Committee will review and adopt, on an annual basis, bills presented to the Committee by the members of ABAI for the establishment of a Legislative agenda for ABAI, based on the following model:
1. A three tiered system that includes one “Priority Bill,” three to five “Supported Bills,” and an undefined number of “Endorsed Bills.”
2. At an annual open meeting of the Governmental affairs Committee, held during the ABAI Conference, the members of the Governmental affairs Committee will meet to review and discuss bills submitted by members or stake holders that fall within the scope of the profession of Applied Behavior Analysis and, if enacted, may either enhance or detract from ability to practice;
3. The Governmental Affairs Committee will identify a slate of such bills critical for the support of the practice of Applied Behavior Analysis and make recommendations relative to their support or opposition to the Practice Board.
i. The Priority Bill will be the center piece of the ABAI Legislative agenda. The Governmental affairs committee will notify the sponsoring agencies/legislators of the action taken in identifying the legislation as the Priority Bill for ABAI for the year. This will allow the use of the name of ABAI to be used in all correspondence, etc. related to this bill. Additionally members of the committee will be available to testify at hearings, submit written statements related to the bills, make phone contacts with appropriate legislators, and activate the phone/email alert system to prompt ABAI members to contact their legislators indicating the position of ABAI on this particular bill, etc.
ii. Three to five Supported Bills will be treated in a similar manner to the Priority Bill, with the exception that committee members will not be available to testify on behalf of the bill(s).
iii. An undetermined number of Endorsed Bills will be identified which the committee believes are important to the practice of Applied Behavior Analysis, but do not rise to the level of importance which justifies the expenditure of the time or resources focused on the Priority of Supported Bills. The single level of support for bills identified in this category will be to notify the sponsoring agencies/legislator s of the action taken in identifying the legislation as an Endorsed Bill for ABAI for the year. This will allow the use of the name of ABAI to be used in all correspondence, etc. related to this bill.
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Website: Practitioner Issues in Behavior Analysis SIG-----------
Views and news expressed in this blog or by the PIBA SIG are those of the SIG and SIG members and do not represent official policy of ABA International or other official body. For official policy of the Association of Behavior Analysis International, the reader is directed to their website, http://www.abainternational.org
