single in kind of the charges of AO...

single in kind of the charges of AORN's Legislative Committee is to identify active grassroots network members in each congressional district of the United States, in such a manner that these members can communicate regularly with their make choice ofed officials in the federal management concerning AORN's legislative priorities. In 2002 this was a challenging obligation to fulfill. Boundaries of all congressional districts were redrawn to accommodate the 2000 census figures, and each state complet its redistricting at different times during the year. Redistricting was an especially contentious legislative proces in the 10 states that not to be found a seat or two in Congres as well as the eight states that gained seats.

With the 108th US Congres commencing onward Jan 7, 2003, there is an opportunity to revive the effort to accomplish this charge. Having each member of Congres linked with a guide contact person from AORN carries added significance this year because of AORN's expanded legislative priorities and the reintroduction of the Medicare Certified Registered nourish at the breast First Assistant (CRNFA) Direct Reimbursement Act on Rep Mac Collins (R-Ga).

GRASSROOTS LOBBYING

A theme has been excellented by the committee to elevate awareness of and focus attention upon the effort to formally identify fundamental note contacts in each congressional district. The theme is "AORN Grassroots Lobbying--All Our Representatives Ne Grassroots Lobbying." commonly the work of the committee is directed by the agency of a chair and two cochairs, with the support of state coordinators in each state. Each state coordinator is asked to act as the contact part for the US senators from his or her state. The state coordinators also will recruit grassroots network members of AORN to link with each member of the state's delegation in the US House of Representatives. A summary list of assignments will be maintained at AORN Headquarters according to the Department of Government Affairs.

For example, there are brace state coordinators in Nevada. Each can be assigned the solution contact duties for one senator, either Sen Harry Reid (D) or Sen John Ensign (R) greatest in number states have only one state coordinator. This someone can act as the contact for the pair senators or recruit someone to assist. Additionally, the coordinator will recruit grassroots network members to link with the state's picked officials in the House. In Nevada, there are couple incumbent representatives, Rep Shelley Berkeley (D) from the first congressional district and Rep Jim Gibbons (R) from the inferior congressional district. In addition, because of the state's growing population, it now has a third congressional district take the part ofed by Rep Jon Porter (R) A strange district with a freshman representative in Congres not aways an ideal opportunity for AORN members to initiate their activity or become active again in legislative advocacy.

Legislative Committee leaders plan to report forward the progress of this program to the AORN Board of Directors before AORN's 2003 Congres in Chicago. The committee eventually would like to employment a comprehensive list of first note of the scale contacts on AORN Online, http://www.aorn.org. generally the primary objective is to out and out a list of AORN members interested in the grassroots network and eager to advocate for perioperative nursing. Members who have not been active in AORN's legislative functions are encouraged to use this program to acquire involved, especially as there are many strange representatives to meet in the US Congress

US SENATE

There are 10 just discovered members in the 100-member US Senate. The previous balance of power in the Senate was 50 Democrats, 49 Republicans, and common independent. The new Senate will be controll by the agency of the Republican party, with a make-up of 51 Republicans, 48 Democrats, and individual independent. (1) This assumes a victory by the agency of Sen Mary Landrieu (D) of Louisiana in that state's Dec 7 2002 run-off election, which was held after this article was written.

through state, the 10 new senators are Mark Pryor (D-Ark), Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga), Norm Coleman (R-Minn), James Talent (R-Mo) John Sununu (R-NH) Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) Lindsey Graham (R-SC) Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn) and John Comyn (R-Tex) (2) Senators Sununu and Graham are former members of the House of Representatives, and they the couple cosponsored the federal CRNFA reimbursement bill (ie, HR 822) in the 107th Congres Sen Chambliss, also a former House member, was supportive of HR 822 and AORN's other legislative priorities. (3)

After Rep Collins reintroduces the CRNFA reimbursement bill in the House, AORN will look after a sponsor for a companion bill in the Senate. Patient safety legislation and proposals to address the national nursing shortage will be additional areas of outreach. The Legislative Committee's state coordinators, as first note of the scale contacts for senators, will ne the assistance and backing of all AORN members to reinforce their efforts with verbal expressions district office visits, telephone calls, and AORN Lobby Day 2003 participation.

US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

There are 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 53 recent members, which is more than 12% Twenty-nine states have at least united new representative in the House. These are Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, recently made known Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, fresh York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, southerly Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah. Guam also has a novel nonvoting delegate.