Earlier this year, the ACC was assembled to provide impetus, input and support for NSGC’s federal advocacy efforts, and serve as a consistent communication channel between staff, external lobbying support, the Board and the NSGC membership. This committee is intended to provide you, as NSGC members, with a local representative you can reach out to whenever you have questions about the status of the Federal Bill and also if you would like to find out how to get more involved with the effort.
The charges to the Advocacy Coordinating Committee from the NSGC Board include:
1. Collaborating with NSGC Government Relations staff in outreach, communication and education to the membership about advocacy and bill passage
2. Assessing progress toward our goals and providing regular updates on advocacy activities to Board and membership
3. Collaborating with staff to develop and maintain a robust grassroots network
4. Offering input and support to the Access to Genetic Counselors Coalition
5. Providing support for other advocacy activities (e.g., Hill Day) as needed
6. Upon bill passage, supporting staff in influencing the development of rules and regulations to enable successful implementation of the Access to Genetic Counselors law within 12 months of bill passage
ACC members across the country were recruited based on their prior advocacy interests such that each member could be assigned to regional congressional districts covering all 50 states. They have been tasked with identifying genetic counselors in each congressional district that are willing to engage directly with their representatives by email and via Zoom meetings. We know that personal outreach from constituents is one of the most impactful ways to build co-sponsors, and our goal right now is to recruit as many co-sponsors for our bills as possible. With the dedicated help of our ACC members and our Government Relations team, we currently have 24 congressional co-sponsors on H.R. 2144 and four senate co-sponsors for the companion bill S. 1450.
In addition to the progress made by the ACC members in identifying local genetic counselor advocates that can be called upon as needed in our federal efforts — several ACC members have also begun to identify other health care providers, institutions, professional organizations, advocacy organizations and patients that are willing to support our federal efforts.
We are thrilled with the significant progress and learnings we’ve made so far and look forward to channeling these into future activities. Many of you have already sent emails to your congressional offices in support of the Access to Genetic Counselor Services Act, donated to the NSGC PAC or met with a congressional office directly, and we are grateful for your support. However, there is more work to be done. It’s clear that it’s going to take a sustained and coordinated effort to move this bill forward, and to do that the ACC needs your help! Our success is directly tied to the response of NSGC members to our outreach. If you are contacted by a member of the ACC, we have a specific and targeted “ask” for you. In most cases, we have identified your Representative or Senator as a critical co-sponsor to bring onto the bill, and we need a constituent (you) to reach out and request a Zoom meeting with their office. While this may sound intimidating, we will walk you through the process, help you schedule the meeting and provide you with talking points. Once scheduled, a member of the NSGC government relations team will participate in the meeting with you. Genetic counselors are natural advocates and these meetings with our members have had tremendous impact in helping us secure co-sponsors. Please respond if a member of the ACC reaches out!
Our collective efforts are critical to providing a sustainable future for clinical genetic counselors and providing broader access for all people who stand to benefit from genetic counseling. If you’d like to get involved, please reach out to NSGC (kdorochenko@nsgc.org or advocacy@nsgc.org) to be connected with your ACC representative.
Thank you to all who have participated — for every email, meeting, PAC donation and word of encouragement — it is the fuel that keeps the effort moving!
NSGC Headquarters promotes the professional interests of genetic counselors and provides a network for professional communications. Access to continuing education opportunities, professional resources, advocacy and the discussion of all issues relevant to human genetics and the genetic counseling profession are an integral part of belonging to the NSGC.