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Legislative Education 101

SNAP-Ed Program Development Team

Legislative Education Committee

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Housekeeping

Please put your questions in the chat box for speakers to address at the end of the presentation.
The session is being recorded and will be available for registrants after the webcast today.
Please mute your lines to maintain sound clarity.

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Land Grant University �SNAP-Ed Program Development Team

Purpose: improve the consistency and effectiveness of Extension SNAP-Ed programming to address national health and nutrition-related problems facing individuals with low income in the context of Extension’s broader low-income nutrition education portfolio.
Representation:

SNAP-Ed Coordinators and Program Leaders
Representing all Extension regions
1862s and 1890s
EFNEP program liaison

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Why does SNAP-Ed Matter

SNAP-Ed programs make healthy choices easier for Americans who are eligible for or participate in SNAP.

SNAP-Ed is the educational component of SNAP which helps participants make healthier choices.
SNAP-Ed is in all states and multiple territories.
SNAP-Ed documents behavior change impacts on an annual basis.
SNAP-Ed can be delivered by a variety of implementing agencies with Land Grant Universities being one of them. Each is partnered with a state SNAP agency.

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SNAP-Ed Foundation

Priorities: SNAP-Ed Guidance and State SNAP Agency Direction
Program Design Resources: SNAP-Ed Toolkit
Program Evaluation: SNAP-Ed Evaluation Framework and Interpretive Guide
Program Fiscal Integrity: Federal and state financial policies

For those of you who may be brand new to SNAP-Ed leadership, we wanted to begin this presentation by calling your attention to some of the documents and resources that are the pillars of SNAP-Ed and give shape to our work. The SNAP-Ed guidance and local state agency direction give form to programming in each state and guide priorities. The SNAP-Ed Toolkit is a menu of a wide variety of interventions with strong evidence of effectiveness. This is a good place to start when starting SNAP-Ed programming with a new audience or a new set of objectives. The SNAP-Ed evaluation framework and interpretive guide assists SNAP-Ed leaders in aligning initiatives with program priorities and evaluating them using appropriate metrics and tools. We have linked these in the resource page at the end of the presentation.

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Farm Bill

The Farm Bill is the primary agricultural and food policy tool of the United States’ federal government. The comprehensive omnibus (comprising of several items) bill is renewed every 5 years or so and deals with all affairs under the purview of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Last passed in 2018-2019 legislative cycle

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Farm Bill Titles

Commodity Programs
Conservation
Trade
Nutrition
Credit
Rural Development

Research and Extension
Forestry
Energy
Horticulture and Organic Agriculture
Crop Insurance
Miscellaneous

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Child Nutrition Reauthorization

Maintains current SNAP-Ed funding formula and caps the overall program spending
Sets policies for child nutrition meals programs, CACFP and WIC
Last reauthorization was in 2010 with the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act (as of August 2019)

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Legislative Education Matters

Educating decision-makers allows them to make decisions grounded in a solid understanding of the program’s delivery, impact and value.
You have the power to make your program visible to decision-makers.
Forming a relationship with decision-makers and their staff increases the likelihood they will consult you when faced with decisions related to SNAP-Ed or other nutrition education programs.
If decision-makers don’t know what they are funding, it is easier to discontinue the funding.

Legislative Education Matters

Educating decision-makers allows them to make decisions grounded in a solid understanding of the program’s delivery, impact and value for their constituents.
You have the power to make your program visible to decision-makers.
Forming a relationship with decision-makers and their staff increases the likelihood they will consult you when faced with decisions related to SNAP-Ed or other nutrition education programs.
If decision-makers don’t know what they are funding, it is easier to discontinue the funding.

Share…I can share personally for our work in Iowa that we have had the opportunity to provide clarification on how various programs are implemented and staff are always grateful for that information. They cannot understand details of all of the programs addressed in legislation that crosses their desk, but you can help them know what they need to know about SNAP-Ed.

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Legislative Education 101

Know your institution’s rules.

Some allow staff to visit law-makers and their staff in an official capacity, others do not.
Many LGUs have a process staff follow to schedule visits which may involve working through a legislative liaison. You may need to send your infographics and talking points ahead for approval.

Know the boundaries of your role.

Typically, LGU staff meet with law-makers and their staff to provide education about how federal programs are implemented in their state and answer their questions.
Typically, LGU staff do not advocate in support of a particular policy decision.

Legislative Education 101

Start by becoming familiar with your institution’s rules.

Some allow staff to visit law-makers and their staff in an official capacity, others do not.

Many LGUs have a process staff follow to schedule visits which may involve working through a legislative liaison. You may need to send your infographics and talking points ahead for approval.

Know the boundaries of your role.

Typically, LGU staff meet with law-makers and their staff to provide education about how federal programs are implemented in their state and answer their questions.

Typically, LGU staff do not advocate in support of a particular policy decision.

Your continued ability to engage in this type of activity will likely depend on how well you are able to maintain these boundaries.

I’ll now turn it over to Candy who will share some recommendations related to making visits to decision-makers once you have approval to begin this work.

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Preparing for your Visit

Plan ahead

Identify local elected officials and the committees on which they serve. Prioritize which ones to visit based on committee service and SNAP-Ed programming in their districts.
Visit opportunities may affect travel schedules
Create time between visits for walking between buildings and unexpected delays

Resources for advice

University Legislative Liaison
Colleagues from other states
ASNNA Advocacy Committee
SNAP-Ed Program Development Team

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Preparing for your visit

Materials

Focus on items that are quick to read and digest that highlight the key points you plan to make
Geared for lay audience
Contact information
Photos and stories (use a tablet to scroll through photos)
Customize information to your elected official’s district when possible
Something to hang up in their office
Nothing bulky and no sealed envelopes (security)

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Preparing for your visit

Prepare your remarks

Familiarize yourself with the elected official’s committee assignments to determine how they may intersect with SNAP-Ed or SNAP and may influence their position on the topic.
Create talking points that are simple and clear.

You may have as few as 10 minutes and the person you talk to may have no background in SNAP-Ed.
Include a closing request that staff reach out to you should they ever have questions related to nutrition education for SNAP clients.

Walk through the plan in your head if you’re nervous.

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What to expect

Lots of walking
Time in airport-style security lines
Unpredictable time to converse
Unconventional meeting spaces which may include the hallway

Do not plan for an outlet or an internet connection

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What to expect

Most visits happen with a Legislative Aide aka a ‘Staffer’

The “Staffers” gather information and assist with decision making processes.
These are often young people from the elected official’s home state.
They may or may not have a working knowledge of SNAP-Ed. Ask about this so you can tailor your remarks to their level of understanding.
They may have many consecutive appointments, be mindful of time.

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Be Prepared

For visits to be 5-45 minutes long
To explain the difference between SNAP-Ed and EFNEP and how the programs complement each other through collaboration
Consider what is happening on Capitol Hill that week such as high-profile votes
To connect to visits from others at your university

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How to Wrap Up

Leave behind a simple quantitative and qualitative impact report which includes a success story.
Leave behind your contact information and offer to serve as a resource for Extension or nutrition education issues.
Invite staff to observe programming when they are in your home state.
Thank them for their time, service and support.
Send a follow-up email thanking them for their time and attach an electronic copy of your infographic or other materials you left behind.

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What to avoid

Political party biases
Personal biases about the functioning of the US Government, Congress or USDA
Large amounts of literature and detailed research
Getting caught up in opinion-based conversations about policy
Wasted time or directionless conversations, time may be very short

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Helpful Habits

Try to visit the same staffer each year to build a relationship.

Get to know a bit of personal information about them, such as where they went to school, so you can connect with them easily next time.

In years when you cannot visit offices, send infographics and success stories by email*
Remind partners and professional groups of SNAP-Ed’s funding structure
Follow members and staff on social media*

Tag them in your posts*

Share what you learned and what was discussed at your meetings with colleagues back at your university

*If allowed by your institution

Sylvia pick up here

It is a good idea to take notes during your meeting with the staff or immediately after leaving the meeting. Make notes about where they went to school and other facts that you can use the following year to start the conversation.

Sending a note or email as a follow up to the visit and in years when you can not make a visit sending your Infographic and/or success stories are a great way to stay in touch.

If your institution allows, you can also invite them to attend events in their district.

Social Media is another way to stay in touch with your congressional members and staff. Invite them to Like, Follow and Share your SNAP-Ed or EFNEP social media accounts.

It is a good practice to summarize your visits and share through an email or conversation with your Administrators major points and share any materials you left. This may be a requirement at your institution.

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Throughout the Year

Visit in the local district office
Host or attend local events/program and invite elected officials or staff
Send communication flyers/program fact sheets to office/email
Send informal program updates via email
Tag representative in social media about program impacts

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SNAP-Ed Resources

SNAP-Ed Connection: https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/

Guidance
Evaluation Framework and Interpretive Guide
SNAP-Ed Toolkit

ASNNA Advocacy Committee (National Association of SNAP-Ed Coordinators)
SNAP-Ed Program Development Team

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Legislative Resources

Find your Representative: www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
Find your Senator: www.senate.gov/senators/index.htm
Senate Legislative Calendar: www.senate.gov/legislative/2019_schedule.htm
House Legislative Calendar: www.congress.gov/resources/display/content/Calendars+and+Schedules
Child Nutrition Authorization Information: https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/IF10266.pdf

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What questions do you have?

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Thank you