ADVOCACY TOOLS

 Start Your Journey in Self-Advocacy!

Ready to support legislation for women vs. oppose legislation hurtful to women? This page will give you links to information about the process for passing Ohio House and Senate bills, federal legislation, and a GUIDEBOOK FOR OHIO LEGISLATORS

You don’t have to be a person with disabilities to use their resources.  Check this-Those of you who attended the recent NACDD Annual Conference know that NACDD recently released “The Art of Impact: A Handbook for Self-Determined Living”. Written by Dr. Scott Michael Robertson in conjunction with the Self-Advocate Leadership Circle of the NACDD, this publication is filled with resources, information and tips for successful advocacy. The accessible publication is available in multiple formats including PDF, e-reader and straight text and is available at http://startyourjourney.org/

“Many individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are advocating for their own and others’ needs and are excellent advocates in their local areas as well as nationally,” said Donna Meltzer, CEO of the NACDD. “We created this Handbook to showcase the power of self-advocacy and the unique way in which each person can advocate. The Handbook features interviews with self-advocates who have testified before legislators, written books or curriculum for teaching, and even one gentleman who uses stand-up comedy to teach others about his disability.”

We hope you will  use it as a resource. We got good and important feedback on this at the conference and after and will be updating and adding new features as we move forward.  For more information contact:Donna A. Meltzer, CEO, National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, 1825 K Street, NW Suite 600, Washington, DC 20006, 202-506-5813 extension 103, dmeltzer@nacdd.org , www.nacdd.org , http://startyourjourney.org

Important tools  for following Ohio’s legislation

BILL ANALYSIS – The Legislative Service Commission prepares a detailed narrative description of each bill that is scheduled for a hearing in committee. This bill analysis is updated as the bill moves through the legislative process. Each analysis contains (1) a heading consisting of the bill number, the version of the bill being analyzed, and the bill’s sponsors, (2) brief statements summarizing the bill, (3) a content and operation section that describes the bill in more detail, and (4) the bill’s legislative history. An analysis usually is easier to understand than the bill itself because it is written in narrative style and organized by topic, with the bill’s key provisions described first.

COMMITTEE SCHEDULES – The schedules for each of the Senate and House committees specifying when they are meeting and what bills they will be discussing during that meeting.

FINAL ANALYSIS – When a bill is passed, the LSC staff prepare a final analysis of the act. The final analysis contains a detailed, narrative description of the bill as passed by the General Assembly, reflecting any changes made on the floor of the second house or in conference committee, if any. A final analysis is prepared as quickly as possible after a bill’s passing and may not reflect the Governor’s decision to either sign, veto, or let become law without the Governor’s signature.

FISCAL NOTES – Fiscal notes estimate the effects of proposed legislation on state and local government and expenditures. Every effort is made to prepare notes for the second committee hearing, but time may be needed based on the extent of research required. Local impact statements, which are included in fiscal notes, are required for bills that could result in a net additional cost (as determined by fiscal management) to school districts, counties, municipalities, or townships. The information provided in fiscal notes and local impact statements can be useful for decision making even when dollar estimates are not possible.

GOVERNOR’S OFFICE – The official web site for the office of the Governor of the state of Ohio.

GUIDEBOOK FOR OHIO LEGISLATORS – The Guidebook summarizes the Ohio lawmaking process, the role of legislators, the staff assistance available to members of the Ohio General Assembly, and the role of other participants in the legislative process in Ohio. While the Guidebook is intended for use as a reference for members of the General Assembly, it should be useful to persons generally interested in the Ohio legislative process.

HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW in the state of Ohio.

LEGISLATIVE SCHEDULES – The semi-annual calendar of the Ohio General Assembly, listing which days the House and/or Senate will be in session, and which days are reserved for committee hearings.

OHIO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS – A listing of all of the boards and commissions that are part of the state government, how they are appointed or elected, the terms of the offices, membership, contact information and other important information on each of these groups. A very important and information packed site.

OHIO CONSTITUTION – The complete text of the 1851 version of the Ohio Constitution is also available through this web site. It includes all amendments through 2010.

OHIO HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OHIO REVISED CODE – The laws of the state of Ohio are codified in the Ohio Revised Code. It is organized into titles, chapters, and sections. The 31 titles are the most general classifications and each is broken into chapters dealing with a particular topic of the law within the general subject of the title. Chapters are further divided into sections which contain the text of individual statutes pertaining to the chapter’s subject matter.

OHIO SENATE

SUPREME COURT – The official web site of The Supreme Court of Ohio.