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September 21, 2015
Dear Jane,
The AONP Executive Board has voted to push for full practice authority during the 2016 Oklahoma Legislative session. Our plan is to file officially during the legislative filing period this fall to be ready for the 2016 legislative session that begins February 1.
We are consulting with AmericanAssociation of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) and other national APRN policy leaders on how best to write the bill language.This gives us access to AANP’s team. They have acquired expertise assisting other states and their are knowledgeable in crafting legislation that is consistent with Full Practice Authority (FPA).AANP has been a key partner in every state that secured FPA in the last five years.
Though the legislation hasn’t been written, nor a bill number assigned, there is much you can do to help.
Get to know your legislators.
We are between legislative sessions, with no elections this year - so now is a great time to meet and get to know your legislators.
You have one Representative in the Oklahoma House of Representatives and one State Senator. The representative and senator representing your workplace may be different than your home legislators, so there may be opportunities for you to build relationships with several legislators.
Learn about your legislators and make a visit to see them. Benny Vanatta, our lobbyist, will go with you any time it's convenient for you. To find out who represents you at the State Capitol and how to reach them, go to:http://www.oklegislature.gov/findmylegislature.aspx. This provides both the federal and state elected officials, but for now we are only concerned with contacting Oklahoma House of Representatives and Oklahoma Senate members.
Know what you are asking for.
We do not have precise legislative language and a bill number won’t be available until after filing in November or December. Still, now is a great time to reach out to your legislators. Let them know what may be in the legislation and ask if they would be willing to co-author the bill and if you can visit with them again after it’s filed.
During the visit, stress your educational and professional credentials. Describe your day-to-day activities and how full practice authority could help you better serve your patients.
You can offer a broader perspective as well. Full practice authority would benefit the state as a whole in several ways, including increased consumer choice and new healthcare opportunities in rural areas.
Review the tips for contacting your legislator.
Downloadthe"Tips for Contacting Your Legislator"- it contains instructions on how to contact your legislator and helpful advice to get your relationship with your legislators off to a great start.
Tell us how it went.
After you have contacted your legislator, send us an email and let us know how it went. We’ll keep a running list of which legislators have been contacted and by whom. We’ll also note which legislators might be willing to co-author the legislation. Once session starts, the things will move quickly at the State Capitol. We will need to know what legislator you have made contact with so we can alert you and you can contact make additional contact.
We’ll keep you updated as we go through this process. The strength of the AONP membership, is the key to our success. Legislators care what you think and building good relationships with them now will pay dividends in the future.
Thank you, and please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or if I can help in your efforts in any way. Together, I know we can make great strides for our profession in the coming year.
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