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CalHyPAC
Committee
Heidi Coggan
Debbie Phillips
Blanco Pareto
Frannie Driscoll
Mary Delehanty
Ellen Standley
Carole Ryan
Trish Thomas
Beth Wilson
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Dear Colleague,
CalHyPAC, the Political Action Committee of the California Dental Hygienists' Association is sending this newsletter because we want to continue to provide you with the latest information about legislation affecting dental hygienists in California and let you know how you can help. We hope that you will enjoy this newsletter and will forward it to your friends.
Please join us in our efforts to continue to have a strong voice in Sacramento.
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Why does our profession need a pac?
When most people hear the words Political Action Committee or campaign contributions to legislators and candidates they have a negative reaction. However, take a moment to reflect on our democracy and what our state allows us to do..we are allowed to engage in political campaigns, both with our time and our money. Many people volunteer to work in campaigns, others merely make a donation. Many countries in the world do not allow political activity and shoot those that do.
CDHA established CalHyPAC, which is composed of the chair and nine additional CDHA members. It is the job of CalHyPAC to assist in raising funds for the PAC and make decisions on disbursement of PAC contributions, in consultation with our legislative advocates in Sacramento. We are bi-partisan and give to both parties. Our sole criteria is to support legislators who support the dental hygiene profession and our efforts to deliver quality dental hygiene care to everyone in California.
CalHyPAC is small compared to other PAC's such as the California Dental Association, California Nurses Association, California Teachers Association and others; nonetheless, we still participate and help those who believe in the same things that we believe in..access to quality care. Please consider this and support CalHyPAC.
Remember this; there isn't anyone in our state who will advance our profession. We must do it ourselves! ***************************************************************
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WHAT'S HAPPENING IN CALIFORNIA
The CDHA government relations committee (GRC) is urging all CDHA members to visit their local state assembly members and senators.
For CDHA to find sponsors and support for legislation that we need, the legislators need to know who we are and what we do as dental hygienists in California. They need to know how the RDH or RDHAP can help better serve all Californians. To find out what CDHA has accomplished in the legislative arena for California dental hygienists, read the article in the Spring 2016 CDHA Journal entitled "Politics in Action", Government Relations: Working on Behalf of our Profession" written by GRC co-chairs, Lisa Okamoto RDH and Maureen Titus RDHAP BS. click here to read the article
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Current California Legislation
CDHA supports the following bills
SB 1098 (Canella) Medi-Cal: dental services: advisory group. This bill creates an advisory committee meant to advise the DHCS, legislature and Governor on ways to improve access for children. The bill puts 3 hygienists on the panel. AB 648 (Low) Virtual Dental Home-introduced last year, this bill remains stalled in the Assembly.
AB 2782 (Bloom) Healthy California Fund- would impose a fee on distributors of sugar sweetened beverages, with specified exemptions, and set up the Health Califronia Fund to combat diabetes, obesity, heart disease and dental disease.
AB 2207 ( Wood) Medi-Cal: dental program- CDHA has a watch position on this bill which seeks to implement oversight recommendations from the Litle Hoover Commission's 2016 report. The bill does not act on the LHC report's recommended shift to preventive care.
Health related bills that have been signed into law by Governor Brown this year:
Bills are amended often so to find out what is happening to specific bills in the Senate and Assembly, go to www.leginfo.ca.gov and type in the bill number.
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C alHyPAC News
We are excited to have Trish Thomas, RDH, from San Diego component, and Beth Wilson, Trustee for Long Beach component, join CalHyPAC.
This year, the CalHyPAC board of directors conducted the
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Heidi Coggan RDHAP
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ir annual meeting via telephone conferenceand will meet in Sacramento in the fall. Heidi Coggan was elected to be the Chair of CalHyPAC replacing Carole Ryan who is stepping down after being chair since 2009 and a director since 2006.
The "Pass the Hat for CalHyPAC" campaign for components to educate members/non members about CalHyPAC and current legislation at their CE classes has gotten positive response from those that were in attendance. Thank you to the seven components who have participated since September 2015 until now, raising over $1300. They are: San Diego, Santa Barbara, Long Beach, Mt Diablo, Peninsula, San Francisco and Sacramento Valley. Thank you also to all of you who donate to CalHyPAC and support CDHA's legislative goals.
Aaron Read and Associates
The California Dental Hygienists' Association has retained the legislative advocacy firm of Aaron Read and Associates since 1984 to
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help us work with legislative leaders, state agencies, the Dental Hygiene Committee of California
( DHCC ) and other associations.
Together we promote state policies encouraging increased availability of oral health care, to improve laws and regulations that protect the public's oral health and enhance the practice of dental hygiene. CDHA's executive officers, the Government Relations Council (GRC) and the
CalHyPAC commttee work closely with legislative
advocates Aaron Read, Terry McHale and Jennifer Tannehill.
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************************************************** ADVOCACY
Advocacy is an important component in any organization and for its members to make legislators aware of their positions on policy issues. As a licensed profession governed
by state practice acts and rules, dental hygiene is directly impacted by many policy issues that shape day-to-day dental hygiene practice and the delivery of oral health care services.
Issues requiring advocacy in California are: scope of practice, access to care, continuing education and reimbursement under Denti-Cal. Your involvement as a dental hygiene professional is critical to the success of any advocacy effort!
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HOW YOU CAN HELP
Want to help CDHA be successful in having a strong voice in Sacramento about the issues we care about?
- You can donate money to CalHyPAC We welcome donations from members, friends, potential members, and non-members.
- You can write letters to your legislators about legislation affecting dental hygiene.
- Join your professional organization. Numbers count when CDHA and our legislative advocacy firm represent dental hygienists in Sacramento.
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WANT TO DONATE?
By credit card/PayPal www.calhypac.org
Send checks payable to CalHyPAC
c/o Debbie Phillips, RDH, Treasurer
182 Cameo Drive
Danville, CA 94526
Fair Political Practice Act requires that you include your name, address, occupation and name of employer on your check. Your contributions are not deductible for state or federal income tax purposes.
QUESTIONS?
EMAIL : CALHYPAC@GMAIL.COM
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