Legislative Advocacy

1. Legislative Advocacy Frank Waters Office of Policy and Legislative Affairs, Director Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs

2. Legislative Overview General Information Legislative Process Legislation of interest

3. General Information

4. Resources • Michigan Legislative Website legislature.mi.gov • Review and track bills; review Public Acts; view committee schedules • View Publications: • A Citizen's Guide • Legislative Process in Michigan • United States Constitution • Legislative Briefing Book

5. Legislative Website www.legislature.mi.gov

6. Legislative Process

7. Bill Introduction • A legislator has an idea for a bill and has it drafted by the Legislative Service Bureau (LSB) • A bill is introduced in the House or Senate • The chamber in which the bill is introduced is referred to as the “first chamber” while the other is the “second chamber” • The bill is then referred to a legislative committee by the Senate Majority Leader or Speaker of the House

8. Committee • Testimony is taken on the bill being discussed • Anyone can testify at committee • Based on discussions, legislators may amend the bill • The committee chair may decide for committee members to vote on the bill or take no further action • Not all bills referred to the committee will receive a hearing

9. Reported out of Committee • If the bill is reported (passed) out of committee, it then moves to be voted on by the whole first chamber • Just because a bill is eligible for a vote by the whole body (House or Senate), there is no guarantee that it will receive one • If the bill is passed by the first chamber, it moves to the second chamber and follows the same procedure

10. Governor Signature • When and if the bill is passed by both chambers, it is ordered enrolled and presented to the Governor • Within 14 days after receiving the bill, the Governor may: • veto (return to first chamber with a message) • sign the bill (making the bill a law) • take no action (the bill becomes law after 14 days)

11. Legislation of Interest

12. Reviewing a bill • Type in a bill number and click search • Scroll down to history to find the current status • Click the HTML or PDF link to review the bill or an analysis

13. Track a Bill • Visit www.legislature.mi.gov • Create an account by selecting “login” and then clicking “sign up” to fill in your information • Select “home” and type in the bill number you would like to follow then click search (as shown on previously) • Click on “notify of changes” • The legislative website allows an accountholder to follow as many bills as one desires. To see the status of the bills followed, click on “Notify” • Click “status of current bills for…”

14. Legislative Advocacy Contacting legislators Building coalitions Providing solutions Committee participation

15. Contacting Legislators: find your legislator • At www.legislature.mi.gov select “Legislators” on the left side • Select either of the options listed • Representative: scroll down and enter an address to determine the Representative of the area • Senator: select “By Address” and enter an address to determine the Senator of the area

16. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION Contacting Legislators: • Communication • Legislators need to hear from YOU • Contact a legislator with a position and supporting points on the legislation of interest • Important legislators to contact include: bill sponsor, chair and members of the committee the bill was referred to, your Representative or Senator • Be respectful and professional • It is important to provide a potential solution to the problem posed • Be prepared with a compromise • Encourage others who are educated on the subject to contact legislators • Engage statewide associations or trade organizations that have experience in the political arena, such as, the Michigan Townships Association, Michigan Municipal League or Michigan Association of Home Builders

17. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION Contacting Legislators: • Committee • Prepare remarks and TESTIFY AT COMMITTEE • Be respectful and professional • Offer alternatives and solutions to problems being addressed in legislation • Stay on topic and don’t labor over points that have already been covered by previous testimony – you don’t want to lose their attention • If you do not know the answer to a question, do not answer it • Do not rely on anyone at the exclusion of your participation in the committee process • While some individuals or entities may have a similar agenda, their priorities may be different

18. Receive Committee Notifications • At www.legislature.mi.gov, you have the ability to sign up for committee notices to be notified of hearings • Select “Committees” on the left side • Click on “Signup or Cancel Committee Meeting Emails” and follow the prompts • Committees you may be interested in include Regulatory Reform and Local Government

19. View Committee Schedule • At www.legislature.mi.gov click on committee meetings • There’s a few different ways to view scheduled committee meetings • Committee meetings must be scheduled no later than 18 hours before it is held

20. Building Coalitions • Work with other individuals and interested parties that share your opinion on specific legislation • Encourage them to reach out to legislators • Encourage them to testify in committee independently or with you • Coordinate your message

21. Promotion of an idea for new legislation • The same principles we’ve been discussing apply • Potential bill sponsors • Your Representative or Senator • Legislator that has a background in the subject that the potential legislation will be affecting • Member of the majority • Committee chair of the committee you expect the bill to be referred

22. Questions?