Capital Bulletin: September 2023 Edition
Government Affairs and Policy:
As members of the academic community, you often hear about the intersection of nursing and policy and your first thought might be along the lines “I don’t have time to get involved, go the Capital or contact legislators”. As a kickoff to our new publication, Capital Bulletin we thought a brief introduction to some of the steps in the legislative process might help you find an avenue that fits into your work and contributes to the legislative process.
Many of us learned how a bill becomes a law from this catchy cartoon, but the work is much more than two Houses of Congress compromising on bill language. Behind the scenes work often includes request for information, legislative research, CBO scores, hearings, markups, and finally votes.
A Request for Information (RFI) is published by committees or members of Congress. An RFI includes background language, questions about the topic, a due date, and details on how to submit responses. An RFI is a great place to share your expertise on a topic and inform members of Congress and future legislation.
Legislative Research is just what it sounds like. Staff members search literature, secondary sources, reports from federal agencies such as Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the Congressional Research Service. Legislative research informs the policy writing process with evidence.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) provides objective, nonpartisan information to inform the federal budget process. CBO “scores” legislation providing costs or savings projections.
Congressional Hearings are a common event on Capitol Hill. Hearings are an opportunity to have experts inform Congress and answer questions that contribute to development of legislation. Hearing notices are posted on numerous websites, including Congress.gov, and individual committee and member websites.
Markups are held by committees of jurisdiction and are an opportunity for members to recommend and advocate for change to a piece of legislation before it moves out of committee and to the floor for a vote.
AACN Action Alerts track Congressional actions and legislation related to academic nursing. Sign up today to stay informed!
September Highlights:
September 6: AACN signed onto an Oral Health Nursing Education and Practice (OHNEP) letter supporting comments made to the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services on the CY 2024 Physician Fee Schedule
September 11: AACN submitted comments to the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services on CY 2024 Physician Fee Schedule.
September 20: AACN sent a letter to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Act as they consider S. 2840 - the Bipartisan Primary Care and Health Workforce.
September 21: AACN signed onto the Friends of the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) letter urging Congress to finalize its work on the FY 2024 budget and support funding to critical federal programs.
September 26: AACN announced that six member schools were selected to receive All of Us Research Program mini-grant funding. These schools include Duke University, Loyola University – Chicago, University of North Carolina – Greensboro, University of Rochester, University of Texas Health Science Center – Houston, and Washington State University. To learn more about this program, Learn more about this program here..
Nurses at the Table: Nominate a Nurse Today!
Since July 2018, AACN has been the convener of the ad hoc Nomination Consortium. Through this work, AACN collaborates with more than 20 nursing organizations to identify and nominate experts in the profession to serve on federal committees, taskforces, councils, and boards.
If you, or someone you know, has expertise or experience related to the below opportunities, please submit names and other information using this nomination form. This form will be updated as new federal opportunities arise.
Below are three federal opportunities that are currently open for nominations:
Please join us as we work to ensure more nurses are at the federal policy table!
Federal Grants & Fellowships:
- NHSC Students to Service Loan Repayment Program:
- This program provides up to $120,000 in loan repayment, in return for a commitment to work full-time for three years at a clinical practice NHSC-approved site. New this year, the Maternity Care Target Area (MCTA) award of up to $40,000 has been added for those specializing in obstetrics/gynecology or family medicine physicians who practice obstetrics on a regular basis as well as certified nurse midwives. The deadline to apply is December 7, 2023.
Below are two fellowship opportunities that are currently accepting applications:
- David A. Winston Health Policy Fellowship:
- Through this program fellows come to the nation’s capital for a year-long experience to learn about and participate in the health policy-making process from direct exposure to policymakers in both public and private sectors. The program also provides scholarships for master’s level students in health policy. The deadline to apply is October 16, 2023, at 5:00 PM (PT).
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellowship:
- Mid-career healthcare professionals come to the nation’s Capital for a year to gain a strategic and broad-based health policy and legislative experience. Fellows serve as advisors on Capitol Hill or within the Administration and help develop legislation, organize hearings and meetings, meet with constituents, and much more. The deadline to apply is November 1, 2023.
Mark Your Calendar!
- Fall Hill Day at the Academic Nursing Leadership Conference (ANLC): Plan to join us at the ANLC on Monday, October 30, 2023, for an afternoon of advocacy and networking on Capitol Hill Be sure to click on the participation tab as part of your ANLC registration. Learn more.
- 2024 Student Policy Summit: The next AACN Student Policy Summit (SPS) is happening March 24-25, 2024, in Washington, DC. This two-day conference is open to all baccalaureate and graduate nursing students enrolled at an AACN member institution. For more information and to register, Learn more.
Additional Resources:
Find other National and State Advocacy Resources here.
Need help testifying? Need additional materials? Have questions? Contact the Government Affairs and Policy team today!
