4/27/2017

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH Policy and Political • ’s Legislative Branch is Comprised Advocacy of the PA House and PA Senate. For Psychologists With Justin Fleming + Director of Government Affairs, PA Psychological Association =

PA General Assembly PA Psychological Association Justin Fleming Director of Government Affairs

PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNMENT LEGISLATIVE BRANCH (cont’d) STRUCTURE • There are 253 • Three branches of Government in Pennsylvania members of the Pennsylvania General EXECUTIVE Assembly. LEGISLATIVE • 203 House members and 50 Senators. JUDICIAL • The Republican Party holds large majorities in both chambers, 121‐82 in the House and 34‐16 in the PA Psychological Association PA Psychological Association Justin Fleming Senate. Justin Fleming Director of Government Affairs Director of Government Affairs

EXECUTIVE BRANCH KEY LEGISLATIVE FIGURES

• Pennsylvania’s Governor is Tom Wolf, he is a PA Senate Democrat from York County, PA. • The Governor has a cabinet of Department Secretaries that move his agenda forward.

Secretary of Health

Secretary of DHS

Secretary of Labor & Industry Pres. Pro Tempore Majority Leader Minority Leader Joe Scarnati

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KEY LEGISLATIVE FIGURES THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS

PA House

BILL COMMITTEE SENATE

GOVERNOR HOUSE COMMITTEE

Speaker Majority Leader Minority Leader Dave Reed Frank Dermody

PA Psychological Association PA Psychological Association Justin Fleming Justin Fleming Director of Government Affairs Director of Government Affairs

WHO ARE MY LEGISLATORS? NAVIGATING State Representatives WWW.LEGIS.STATE.PA.US

Pat Harkins Florindo Fabrizio Ryan Bizarro The website for the PA General Assembly is 1st District 2nd District 3rd District Erie Erie Erie www.legis.state.pa.us. Find a bill here. You must search using HB # or SB #.

Parke Wentling Search here for your 25th District th th legislator. You can 4 District 6 District Crawford, Erie, Erie Crawford & Erie Lawrence, Mercer search using your address or county.

Kathy Rapp 65th District Crawford, Forest, Justin Fleming Warren PA Psychological Association Director of Government Justin Fleming Affairs Director of Government Affairs

WHO ARE MY LEGISLATORS? State Senators READING A BILL Reading a bill can be tough, but cracking the code is the key.

Arrows in the right hand margin 21st District of a bill marks are where Butler, Clarion, Forest, changes need to be made. Venango, Warren A strikethrough indicates material that should be deleted from the bill. CAPITAL LETTERS and underscoring indicate th 49th District 50 District material to be added to the Erie Crawford, Erie, Mercer, Warren current version of the bill. Light face brackets indicate material to be omitted from Justin Fleming the Act. PA Psychological Association Director of Government Justin Fleming Affairs Director of Government Affairs

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LOCAL GOVERNMENT MATTERS WHAT ARE PPA’S MAIN LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES FOR THE 2016-2017 SESSION?

From city council  This session, PPA is focusing on passage of bills which meetings in Philadelphia accomplish three main goals: authorizing telepsychology services statewide, strengthening mental health parity, and to Commissioners studying the issue of starting school later for high school meetings in Elk County, students. In addition, we will advocate for a bill related to local government • Local and county overcoming interpersonal violence. matters. governments definitely have a great impact on  While we are still waiting for a telepsychology bill to be our daily lives with introduced, HB 440 is a mental health parity bill and HB 762 zoning, tax collection authorizes the PA Dept. of Education to study later start and permitting rules. times. PA Psychological Association PA Psychological Association Justin Fleming Justin Fleming Director of Government Affairs Director of Government Affairs

WHY SHOULD YOU ADVOCATE FOR FEDERAL ISSUES AFFECTING THE PRACTICE OF THE PSYCHOLOGY PROFESSION? PSYCHOLOGY – PHYSICIAN DEFINITION

• Professional advocacy provides The Medicare Mental Health you with the opportunity to take Access Act will allow ownership, and have a say in psychologists to practice what’s expected of you as a without unnecessary physician psychologist. supervision. • Currently, there are no This legislation would add psychologists who are members psychologists to the definition of the General Assembly. It is of physician under Medicare your responsibility to inform and increase access to mental them about how to enhance the health, particularly to those in profession. rural and lower populated areas.

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WHAT DID PPA ACCOMPLISH DURING THE FEDERAL ISSUES AFFECTING THE PRACTICE OF 2015-2016 LEGISLATIVE SESSION? PSYCHOLOGY – PHYSICIAN DEFINITION

 In June 2016, Governor Wolf Signed SB 772, the Continued monitoring of Psychology Modernization Act, making it Act 53 of any changes to the federal 2016 Affordable Care Act  Act 53 made much-needed changes to the PA PPA engagement and Psychological Practice Act. The Act had not been advocacy at the APA altered since 1986. Practice Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C.

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ROLES YOU CAN PLAY IN POLICY PPA’S ADVOCACY DAY! AND POLITICAL ADVOCACY (cont’d)

 PPA will hold its Advocacy Day on • Provide Testimony to the General Assembly Monday, May 8, 2017. • You are the expert in psychology and mental health practice.  Registration begins at 8:45 a.m. in Room 418 Main Capitol. • Legislators have many areas of expertise – but, again, there are no  There will be a 1.5 hour CE event about psychologists currently in General Assembly. YOU are the authority! the legislative process and other legislative initiatives which affect psychologists.  We will have a press conference at 1:30 p.m. in the East Wing Rotunda to discuss issues related to overcoming interpersonal violence, specifically human trafficking.

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ROLES YOU CAN PLAY IN POLICY THE LEGISLATIVE MEETING AND POLITICAL ADVOCACY (cont’d)

 Know your roles in advance  Meeting with staff is okay (sometimes better!)  Stay on message and be brief • Donate to PennPsyPAC  Clearly explain how the legislator can help • PennPsyPAC is the Political Action Committee for the psychology Support a specific legislation or policy profession. Oppose legislation or policy • The money donated to PennPsyPAC goes to legislators and candidates who are supportive of professional psychology and Write letters/contact leadership to indicate mental health care. support for a policy • For more information about PennPsyPAC or do donate, visit  Evaluate meeting and follow up with www.pennpsypac.org. legislator Justin Fleming Director of Government PA Psychological Association Affairs Justin Fleming Director of Government Affairs

ROLES YOU CAN PLAY IN POLICY HOW DOES PPA LOBBY AND AND POLITICAL ADVOCACY ADVOCATE FOR PSYCHOLOGISTS?

• Dialogue with your legislator • In the past, PPA has • Schedule time to visit the district office of your employed a building block state rep./state sen. strategy. • Inform him/her about issues that affect you as a psychologist. • Every legislative session, we • Tougher to say “no” to someone with whom aim to introduce one or two you have a relationship. bills which allow psychologists to practice in • Educate the public about: areas which were once • Issues important to the psychology reserved for physicians. profession and mental health practice. • We focus on tangible goals • Write articles/Op‐eds/letters to the which we can achieve, editor about psychology. rather than platitudes.

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WHAT ARE THESE BUILDING BLOCKS?

• Examples of this strategy include: • Making sentencing recommendations • Law passed which allows psychologists to evaluate impaired drivers. • Having psychologists make evaluations for child custody.

PA Psychological Association Justin Fleming Director of Government Affairs

WHAT ARE PPA’s “BREAD AND BUTTER” LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES

• Fighting insurance companies in the areas of prior authorization & reforming managed care.

• PPA opposes so‐called “truth in advertising” bills which place silly restrictions on what non‐physicians can do, and how they represent themselves.

PA Psychological Association Justin Fleming Director of Government Affairs

Questions? THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION

Please feel free to contact me at 717‐510‐6349 or send me an e‐mail at [email protected]. PA Psychological Association Justin Fleming Director of Government Affairs

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