As a voice for the people of Arizona who are or could be impacted by mental illness, MHA AZ and its members are dedicated to shaping public policy. We are asking our Advocacy network from around Arizona to join these efforts by contacting Arizona policy makers when important issues are being considered.
It is easy to participate in these efforts through the use of your computer and ALIS (Arizona Legislative Information System). This is how it will work:
- MHA AZ will identify important legislative proposals which could impact (positively or negatively) our state’s mental health system.
- MHA AZ will alert you when actions are likely on proposed legislation and ask you to contact legislators or (when appropriate) the Governor.
- Each Action Alert will provide you with information and ideas for messaging and suggest an action (for example, contact individual legislators or sign in for committees).
To prepare you for your advocacy activities, instructions about how to use the ALIS website and the Request to Speak System are below. Thank you for your assistance. If you have questions feel free to email us at
sabettaconsulting@gmail.com
GETTING TO KNOW ALIS
How to find your legislator:
E-mailing your legislator:
- Each legislative district has two House members and one Senator. By clicking on “Members” for either the “House” or “Senate,” you will be provided a Member Roster with a list of members, the district they represent, and their contact information.
- When emailing a member, enter the Bill Number in the information line.
- Indicate whether you wish them to support or oppose the bill and provide them with reasoning for your position.
- If you live in their district be sure to indicate that you are a constituent.
REQUEST TO SPEAK SYSTEM
What is the RTS system?
The Request To Speak (RTS) system is a website that allows the public to register opinions and voice comments on bills as they pass through the Arizona Senate and House of Representatives. The following steps will guide you through registering for RTS and voicing your opinion.
New to RTS?
If you have not created a Request to Speak account in the past, you must have one before you can sign into the system and (1) register your support/opposition for a bill and (2) register to provide testimony during the committee hearing.
In order to participate, you
must register at the legislature.
- This can be done by visiting the lobby of the House or Senate and creating an account at the available kiosks. It’s not difficult or time-consuming and you can request help at the information desk.
- OR you can fill out the attached RTS form and return it to MHA staff at sabettaconsulting@gmail.com and we will create an account at the legislature on your behalf. You will be notified when the registration has been completed and can then sign in on any computer with internet access.
Once you have registered your RTS account, you are ready to participate.
Next Steps for Advocacy:
MHA AZ staff will send you an alert with the bill number, the date of the upcoming committee hearing and ask you to sign into your RTS account. To sign in:
- Visit http://www.azleg.gov
- Under “Legislative Information,” select “Request to Speak”
- Select “Sign On” and enter your account information.
- If you’ve forgotten your password, click “Forgot your password?” and follow the instructions.
- Once you’re signed on, select “Request to Speak.”
- Click “New Request.”
- Select “House” or “Senate” and under “Committee” choose the applicable committee.
- In the “Search Phrase” box, type the bill number and click “Search.”
- Click the blue button that says “Add Request.”
- Choose “For” to indicate that you support the bill, or “Against” if you oppose the bill.
- Choose “Yes” if you would like to testify in support of the bill during the committee hearing.
- Click “Submit.”
Interested in additional policy training or information about participating legislative advocacy?
Time: Jan 11, 2019 1:00 PM Arizona
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