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Yvette Ramirez Ammerman
Associate Director, Western Operations
National Association of Community Health Centers
1013 Richmond SE
Albuquerque, N.M. 87106
ph (505) 252-0872
Email: [email protected]
website: NACHC.com
twitter.com/yvette r. ammerman
facebook.com/yvette.r.ammerman
Legislator’s Decisions ARE Important to CHCs:
Income Sources for Health Centers
Other Grants/
Contracts
10%
Medicaid/CHIP
29%
Federal
28%
Medicare
6%
Self Pay
12%
Private
2%
State
13%
Success (and Our Future) Will
Depend on the Strength of
Our Advocacy
Advocacy Needs NUMBERS
(and VOTERS)!
Growth of Health Center
Advocates and Patients
Mar-02
Mar-03
Mar-04
Mar-05
Advocates
Mar-06
Mar-07
Patients
Mar-08
Mar-09
Total Program Funding
Mar-10
Mar-11
Mar-12
Legal Basics……
KNOW THE RULES
WHEN IN DOUBT – GET ADVICE
(see resources on saveourchcs.org)
TIMING IS EVERYTHING
TRAIN AND RE-TRAIN YOUR
STAFF
I.R.S.
Must be NON-PARTISAN
Implicit or Explicit
Circumstances…. and
Timing Matter
What is “Substantial”?
Federal 330 Grants….
No part of Federal 330 Grants can be used for Lobbying or
Voter Registration, so what health center funds CAN be used
to pay for these expenses?
 Revenues unrelated to the grant-supported project (and not
restricted by other payors);
 Unrestricted donations, and investment income;
 A health center's fees or premiums, (as identified by the 1996
amendments to Section 330 law);
 Third party reimbursements (including Medicaid and Medicare
payments) and potentially state, local, and other operational
funding.
Lobbying, Voter Registration and
Education, Advocacy
Activity
 Lobbying = Face to face, phone call  IRS limits Non-Profits to 5%
or email contact with legislator
of TOTAL budget (but not 330
asking for action on a specific bill.
funds!).
 Voter Registration (VR) and
Education = Spectrum of activities.
 Advocacy/Education = meeting
with legislators, or decision-makers
to educate them about your
Community Health Center.
 Must be non-partisan! HRSA
PAL encourages CHCs to
provide VR (Not 330 funds).
 Amount of
Advocacy/Education CHCs
may provide is UNLIMITED!
YES! Your Health Center CAN
Register Voters!
 Widely known as “Motor Voter,” the National Voter
Registration Act (NVRA) is designed to encourage voter
registration and to remove discriminatory and unfair
obstacles to voter registration. Congress enacted NVRA in
1993 to increase the number of citizens who register to vote
and subsequently cast ballots in U.S. elections.
 Recognizing that the law's "motor voter" provision was
unlikely to reach low-income citizens who are less likely to
own automobiles, Congress also mandated that voter
registration be offered at public assistance agencies.
Why Community Health Centers?
 We are located in communities with low voter
participation. Folks come to us everyday.
Traditional voter outreach efforts do not reach our
patients; young voters, minority voters, infrequent
voters.
 Traditional voter campaigns are focused on the
immediate voting cycle and outcomes for the
immediate elections.
 Community Health Centers are trusted resources
within their community. By being non-partisan
we reinforce that trust.
NO, Your Health Center CAN’T!
 Don’t endorse or otherwise give a candidate
official support. CHCs individual staff
members can give personal support, but not
in the name of their organization.
 Contribute money, time, services or in-kind
office space to a candidate.
 Coordinate activities with a candidate. Don’t
allow political fundraising, distribution of
campaign literature, or other campaign
activity to occur on the nonprofit’s premises.
Local Bi-Partisan Resources
CHRISTY FRENCH
CHAIRMAN - DONA ANA
DEMOCRATIC PARTY
PO BOX 16144
LAS CRUCES, NM 88004-6144
CELL: (575) 644-9450
E-MAIL:
[email protected]
RUSSELL ALLEN
CHAIRMAN - DONA ANA
REPUBLICAN PARTY
121 WYATT DR SUITE 15-16
LAS CRUCES, NM 88001
W: (575) 526-1332
C: (575) 694-2606
EMAIL: [email protected]
What is the most important
thing to a legislator?
RE-ELECTION.
Non-partisan Pop Quiz!
www.clpi.org
Is the activity nonpartisan?
High Risk
Some Risk
Low Risk
www.saveourchcs.org
Breakouts!
www.clpi.org
Conclusions……
KNOW THE RULES
WHEN IN DOUBT – GET ADVICE
(see resources on saveourchcs.org)
TIMING IS EVERYTHING
TRAIN AND RE-TRAIN YOUR
STAFF