Encouraging Advocacy at Your Chapter 2011 Regional Meetings

LGN Structure  Chair of the LGN  Vice chair  Regional legislative coordinators (3)  Executive committee member  Board of trustees liaison  ASDA staff liaison  Legislative liaisons serve each chapter

Chair of the Legislative Grassroots Network  Monitor and report on national legislation and identify its importance to dental students  Direct organizational and educational activities of the LGN  Serve as Liaison to ADA’s Council on Government Affairs

Vice Chair (ADPAC Student Director)  Serves on the ADPAC board of directors  Promotes ADPAC drives at chapters and coordinates drives at national meetings  Responsible for compiling ADPAC membership statistics for ASDA

Regional Legislative Coordinators (RLCs)  Communicate regularly with LLs  Provides legislative information and updates to chapters as well as ASDA legislative policies  Ensure all chapter activities are reported to chair and vice chair  Two additional RLCs starting 2012

Board of Trustees Liaison  Trustee assigned to serve as liaison from LGN to board of trustees  Represents board of trustees perspective at LGN meetings  One member of the executive committee serves on the LGN (new for )

ASDA Staff Liaison  Coordinates activities of LGN  Works with LGN and ADEA staff to develop content and plan National Dental Student Lobby Day  ASDA Central Office contact for anything related to the LGN, National Lobby Day or legislative activities

Legislative Liaisons  Read the LGN Handbook  Keep your chapter leaders, members and other dental students informed about advocacy efforts and legislation  Organize legislative activities at your school  Report your chapter’s legislative activities to your RLC

Legislative Liaisons  Attend regional meeting, National Lobby Day, and Annual Session  Coordinate your chapter’s attendance at Lobby Day  Monitor state legislative issues and ask the LGN for help when action is needed

How do we affect change?  State and national lobby days  Educate and inform ASDA members and dental students about issues affecting dentistry  Membership in ADPAC and State PACs  Communication with legislators about what issues are important to their constituents

Who helps the LGN?  ADA Division of Government Affairs  ADA Department of State Government Affairs  ADPAC  American Dental Education Association (ADEA)  State and local dental societies

What is ADPAC?  ADPAC is the American Dental Political Action Committee  It is the bipartisan legislative arm of the ADA  Creates and cultivates relationships on Capitol Hill that benefit the ADA and the interests of dentists nationwide  In a nutshell:  It is a way of Protecting the profession  Provides “Preventative Care” for the profession  And a Powerful force for the profession  Consider it “cheap insurance” for Dentistry as a whole!

Issues that are affecting YOU. Yes, you.  Dental Workforce  Kansas…ahem…Missouri Dental Therapist  Greater Springfield Dental Society has drafted a legislative proposal for a dental therapist  Additionally, the MDHA wrote a proposal for an Advanced Practice Dental Hygienist  The Missouri Dental Board has currently accepted both proposals – pending review  Sound familiar???  This is one of the biggest issues affecting dentistry today

Some other issues…  Use of amalgam as a dental restorative  Water fluoridation  Student Loan Interest Deduction (SLID)  Loan repayment programs  Reimbursement rates for dentists  Small business laws  Scope of practice

OK…what does my $5 membership do?  Legislators don’t want to make laws for all dentists if they think ADPAC’s opinions only represent a minority of the profession  A greater percentage of member representation gives dentistry political leverage  Strength in numbers ADPAC does not “buy votes” – these monies go toward candidates’ campaigns who support oral health initiatives

Legislative Lunch and Learn ADPAC Drive  ADPAC oversees Legislative Lunch and Learn program  Hold a Lunch and Learn with ADPAC membership drive  Student membership is only $5 per year ($50 for Capitol Club)  Contact Aruna Rao for instructions and to report on your chapter’s events

Resources  E-newsletter   Leadership – Legislative Grassroots Network  The Issues – Advocating the Issues

How do I remember this stuff?  It’s all in the LGN Handbook!  Online at Handbook

New! LGN State Lobby Day Scholarship  State level advocacy efforts are key to advancing dentistry  Max of $500 awarded to a chapter- up to 3 chapters  Scholarships awarded based on those who apply and demonstrate a need for financial support to organize a state lobby day

LGN State Lobby Day Scholarship  The LGN will judge applications based on information provided about the event’s execution, funding sources and budgetary requirements.  To apply:  Go to ASDA’s website – Member Resources – ASDA Scholarships  completed application to Meghan Keelean at ASDA central office by Nov. 30, 2011

Stay up to Date  Go to – Advocacy Under Speak Out click on Legislative Action Center  Sign up for Action E-list to get alerts when action is needed  In an action alert you will get a link that has a form letter for you to send to your legislator

April 16-17, 2012

 Largest LGN event of the year  Collaborative event with ASDA and ADEA  Held in Washington, DC  Students will meet with their members of Congress (Senate and House of Representatives)  You will lobby specific dental-related issues that have been introduced as Bills awaiting legislative outcome  Over 340 dental students attended in March 2011!

National Lobby Day Appointments  LLs at each school are in charge of making appointments with the legislators in the dental school’s state  If you are from a state without a dental school, we encourage you to visit those offices too

After a Successful Year…  Apply for the Ideal LGN Award  Applications judged by the LGN  Presented at Lobby Day  Not the same as Ideal ASDA Awards  Separate application  Different judges  Get the application under Member Resources – Awards on

Contact Info  Namrata Gupte:  Meghan Keelean:  Aruna Rao: or