jan meisels allen member, rpac iajgs director-at-large chairperson, iajgs public records access...
TRANSCRIPT
Jan Meisels AllenMember, RPAC
IAJGS Director-at-large
Chairperson, IAJGS Public Records Access Monitoring Committee
President, Jewish Genealogical Society
of the Conejo Valley and Ventura County (JGSCV)
Tool Kit
For
State Liaisons
Bills change subjects from what they originally covered when
introduced.
What to do?
Actively monitor and review all future versions of the bill
CA AB 130 (2009)
The bill changed focus from when it was introduced in January 2009 on identity theft to covering marriage records and redaction of mothers’ maiden names similar to existing
law covering birth and death records.
California AB 130 (2009)
First date amended
Removed
Initial language
Final amendments-bill changed three times since it was introduced
How to read changes:
Underlined/italicized words are new
Crossed-out words are those being removed
New language in italics
Removed language underlined
Maine LD 1791
Each State Is Different
Removed language crossed out
New Language underlined
Each State Is Different
You need to know how your state writes legislation
How a bill becomes a law
How To Find Your State’s ?
“How A Bill Becomes A Law”
Google it!www.google.com
CALIFORNIA
New Jersey
Every step on the
“How A Bill Becomes A Law”
is an opportunity to shape the outcome…from the day it is
introduced, the hearings, going to the floor of the legislature, to the
governor’s desk. Take the necessary steps at each opportunity!
Legislation That Effects Access Is Also From
US Congress
US Congress Bills
http://thomas.loc.gov/home/lawsmade.toc.html
How A Bill Becomes A Law: Federal http://www.congresslink.org/Frantzich/index.htm
Lexis/Nexis- short and to the point http://www.lexisnexis.com/help/CU/The_Legislative_Process/How_a_Bill_Becomes_Law.htm
Write a Letter to the Committee(s) Which
Will Hear the Bill
Who do you include?
Committee Chairperson
Committee Members
Author of Bill (may or may not be on the committee hearing the bill)
Committee Staff
If bill is going to governor for signature
Write to governor and legislative aide
How To Find Out Where To Write
Go to www.IAJGS.org and click on Legislation
Then on Legislative WebsitesUS State Legislative websites
US CongressCanadian Parliament and Provincial Websites
(there is a link to the IAJGS website from the RPAC home page)
MODEL LETTER CONT’D
Get To Know Your Local Representatives
All politics are local!
Each State Liaison and others in your society should get to know:
Your local State Representative
Your local State Senator
Your Local Congressperson
Your US Senators
And their staffs!
Your local presence and involvement is key to
success!
We need you to be the eyes and ears for early alerts about the bills.
COALITION-BUILDING
YOU ARE NOT ALONE!REACH OUT!
ARCHIVISTSHISTORIANSLIBRARIANS
LOCAL/STATE PRESSOTHER GENEALOGICAL SOCIETIES
RPACOTHER ORGANIZATIONS DEPENDING ON
ISSUES IN BILLS
The coalition members must speak with one voice. Listen to the other points of view to come to a unified position.
Remember each issue is
different!
Future bills may find different members of one coalition on different sides for different bills/issues.
Keep all lines of communication open as you never know whom you will be
coalescing with on the next bill
