The Washington State Legislature is comprised of two combined houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives. This legislative process begins by a bill being introduced to either the Senate or House of Representatives by a member, which both houses meet yearly to create a new law/s, change current/existing laws, and establish budgets for the State. “Regular sessions are mandated by the State Constitution and begin the second Monday in January each year” (Washington State Legislature, n.d.), and run for 60 days on an even year or 105 days in an odd year. From its conception to written law, a bill in Washington must follow this guideline:
- A bill may be introduced in either the Senate or House of Representatives by a member.
- It is referred to a committee for a hearing. The committee studies the bill and may hold public hearings on it. It can then pass, reject, or take no action on the bill.
- The committee report on the passed bill is read in open session of the House or Senate, and the bill is then referred to the Rules Committee.
- The Rules Committee can either place the bill on the second reading calendar for debate before the entire body or take no action.
- At the second reading, a bill is subject to debate and amendment before being placed on the third reading calendar for final passage.
- After passing one house, the bill goes through the same procedure in the other house.
- If amendments are made in the other house, the first house must approve the changes.
- When the bill is accepted in both houses, it is signed by the respective leaders and sent to the governor.
- The governor signs the bill into law or may veto all or part of it. If the governor fails to act on the bill, it may become law without a signature.
Advocacy is important at the state and/or community levels in helping specific individuals and even groups address their needs and concerns. Policy advocacy at the state level has the potential to reach and impact a much larger group of individuals through incremental social change, whereas, the human or social services legislation advocacy is just on the behalf of individuals or families. Advocacy and social change are the heart and soul of what we do, creating a long-term social transformation within societies. Policy advocacy is that of improving the overall economic situation.
Alerting the public of proposed legislation is a great way to inform them of possible changes to services they currently access. Lobbying is a great start, although it is not the only option. The use of media relations, digital communications, flyers, and even traditional ads can help raise awareness on proposed legislation that affects these services being alerted. Moreover, the use of news releases are also a great way to share the announcement.
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Community Tool Box (n.d.), talks about the steps needed to fulfill public awareness. These steps are as followed:
- “Marshaling your allies,” helps get them into the same efforts being raised. It allows you to see who needs to be brought in, if any, as there IS strength in number.
- “Creating a coordination structure,” is the general outline of your effort. “It is vital to have a single coordinating individual or body at the core of your advocacy effort” (Community Tool Box, n.d.), as this keeps the focus on a single person within the agency and delegation is done henceforth.
- “Doing your homework,” is key when doing any project. Having knowledge about the task and what is required give the representative an upper hand that they know what they are truly fighting for.
- “Defining your message,” needs to be clear, precise, and to the point on what you are advocating for. Keeping the message clear allows all intended recipients to understand the message.
- “Creating a communication network that works,” as this allows you to take immediate action as very little time will be granted to make an impact.
- “Cultivating the media,” is a major element in an advocacy campaign, which is also the best way to spread the awareness needed for attention. These sources are listed above.
- “Taking the long view,” is a fundamental part of advocacy as this effort takes time. “Getting money in the budget for your issue, for instance can often be accomplished in a short burst of furious activity, but it may take years to get a bill passed, or to have your message become common knowledge among policy makers (Community Tool Box, n.d.).
Not giving up and keeping at this task will only better the outcome of the task. Some will succeed, but others will fail. Advocacy in social change usually begins with the people, emerging from communities within a region. Although this social change may continue for years without lifting off it never ends. It may end up becoming a law but when it reaches this stage the fight is never over; just as human service professionals never stop advocating for all individuals.
When understanding the differences between the public and private sector coalition-building legislative processes its key to know that your rights do “differ depending on the legislation that an organization is governed under” (PrivacySense.net, 2016). Moreover, when looking at the funding streams used by both public and private funding agencies, resources are used from both donors allowing a wider range in services.
References
- Community Tool Box. (n.d.). Section 10. General Rules for Organizing for Legislative Advocacy. Retrieved from https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/advocacy/direct-action/legislative-advocacy/main
- PrivacySense.net. (2016, May 19). The Difference Between the Private and Public Sector. Retrieved from http://www.privacysense.net/difference-between-private-public-sector/
- Washington State Legislature. (n.d.). Bill Information. Retrieved March 13, 2020, from https://app.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/
