Top Priorities for the Legislative Off-Season

With the third special session underway, we’re right around the corner from a legislative off-season. When the legislature is not in session is the perfect time to lay the groundwork for the next session. What can you do to prepare for the next session? With the help of an experienced Texas lobby firm, like us here at the Posey Law Firm, PC, you can begin to prepare your new legislation, start a campaign for public support and find the right representative to present your bill.

Identify Your Objectives

Start by identifying your objectives. What do you need? Is there existing legislation that needs to be modified, or do you need to start with new legislation? Does someone else have a similar objective? Sometimes it can be effective to team up and split the groundwork. The first thing you need to do is figure out what you need, and where to start in reaching your objective.

Draft New Legislation

Once you’ve figured out what you want to do, it’s time to draft the new legislation, or prepare an amendment to existing legislation. The wording for new legislation and amendments is particularly important, so it’s critical to work with an experienced lobby firm when drafting your legislation. Once you’ve got an initial draft prepared, you can present it to the public, approach activist organizations or work toward finding the right representative to present your bill.

Lay the Groundwork for Public Support

Public support is a key component of passing new legislature. Public support calls attention to key issues and ensures that you get through the committee process, and it puts pressure on representatives to examine and vote on your legislation. It can take months to build an effective public support campaign, so now is the time to start.

Find the Right Legislator to Present Your Bill

New bills can only be introduced by representatives, so the next step is to find the right legislator to present your bill. Depending on the specifics of your bill, you might want to approach your local representative, or you may want to choose someone with a history of being sympathetic toward issues similar to your bill. A good lTexas obby firm can help you select the right legislator to present and fight for your bill.

The legislative off-season is an important time to begin preparing for the next regular session, so give us a call today at 1-888-269-1962 to discuss your needs.