Public Policy: Every Association should and can have a Government Affairs Program

From Tristan North, AMG Vice President of Government Affairs

Tristan North, AMG Vice President of Government Affairs

While the importance of federal legislation and regulations varies significantly amongst associations, no association member or association itself is immune from the actions of the Congress and federal agencies. To that end, association boards of directors often find themselves trying to determine what level of resources are appropriate for influencing the policies that impact their respective memberships. One thing is certain, regardless of the level of available resources; every association should and can have at least a basic government affairs program that fits their needs.

Some Issues Impact Every Association, Some Just Yours
All one has to do is watch the evening news to hear about a new law that impacts all of our respective associations. One prime recent example is passage on March 3 of legislation (H.R. 4) in the U.S. House of Representatives to repeal the 1099 expanded tax reporting requirement. As part of the health care reform law enacted last year, Congress required all businesses (including non-profit organizations) to file 1099 forms for every business transaction over $600 per year starting January 1, 2012. This new requirement will be an unnecessary burden to businesses and associations. Fortunately, the Congress and the President agree that the requirement should be repealed which will likely occur in the coming months.

The 1099 reporting requirement repeal is just one example of the dozens or more of provisions of legislation or regulations that impact all of us. While large organizations with enormous advocacy resources like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Businesses have been pushing for the repeal, not every issue that impacts your association will have implications for anyone but your members. It is in these cases in particular that a government affairs program becomes the most critical.

The American Ambulance Association (AAA) was actually established for the sole purpose of federal advocacy. Since the Congress sets the Medicare reimbursement rates for ambulance services and Medicare patients account for on average 50% of ambulance transports, it was critical that the industry have a voice on Capitol Hill. With no other health care organizations impacted by the rate setting and thus no one else advocating for adequate compensation, a handful of ambulance service professionals formed the AAA to fill the void. While their initial government affairs program was minimal, it is now a robust and comprehensive program.

Components of a Basic Program
The time to develop a government affairs program is before you are forced to have one in order to react to a threat or take advantage of an opportunity. A basic program will allow you to stay abreast of current issues impacting your membership and have a plan in place to educate and influence members of Congress and the administration should the need arise. Below are the basic components of such a program.

Staffing
A basic government affairs program does not require the hiring of new staff. You can identify a current member of your staff to also be your government affairs coordinator. It will likely take just a few hours a week of staff time although more time if launching an advocacy campaign.

Monitoring
At a minimum, your association should be monitoring for legislation and regulations. Your organization for no cost can use a legislative tracking service such as www.GovTrack.us and simply monitor the Federal Register at http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/ on a daily basis which lists all the Federal regulations issued that day. You can also subscribe for a fee to a legislative and regulatory monitoring service which will simply notify you of bills or regulations of interest to you.

Influencing
There are several ways you can mobilize your membership should an issue arise such as a piece of legislation your organization supports. The simplest way is to subscribe to a web-based advocacy tool such as Capwiz which allows you to post sample letters or talking points online. Your members then customize the letters which are automatically sent via e-mail to their members of Congress or are provided a phone number to call to use the talking points. At little or no cost and thus less convenience, you can also e-mail sample letters and talking points to your members and help them identify their members of Congress and how to best communicate with them. A similar strategy can be used to support or oppose a federal regulation.

Conclusion
A basic government affairs program does not have to take a lot of resources of an association. If your association later finds itself impacted more and more by federal legislation and regulations, then you can decide whether you should allocate additional resources for creating a more robust program such as retaining a lobbyist. In the meantime, if you don't already have one, your association should and can have a basic government affairs program which is a huge added benefit for your members.