Legislative Update

Often, we hear questions about why we should designate a legislative rep for our local unit. What role does such a rep have? A good example came via e-mail today, when I received a request from National PTA asking for our support. A bill (S.678) was introduced to renew the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, which provides grant funds for several programs directed toward at-risk youth (you can search for some such grant opportunities from Idaho Juvenile Justice Commission). With all the focus on other legislative priorities, this important bill has sat in committee since March.

National PTA has asked us to remind our legislators how important this bill is to us. Encourage your unit to contact their member of congress. You can get information, including a summary of the issue, the full text of the bill, and a simple way to contact your leaders, from the PTA Takes Action Center: http://npta.sparklist.com/t/1670133/11121348/1427/0/