APHA 3031 0 Engaging State Policy Makers on

APHA 3031. 0 Engaging State Policy Makers on EHS Issues: Strategies for Translating Research Results • • • • Take Home Points Many legislative bodies meet only part of the year and legislators are part-time. Many legislators have very little staff support. Most information provided by lobbyists are on the aspect of research that fits their interests. Legislatures are complex bodies that are dramatically different. Legislators have some understanding of environmental health, some much more than others. Legislators are concerned/interested in environmental health issues and legislation. EH Science Research must be conveyed in a manner that is relevant to legislators. The EH Sciences Summit had great reach, and the information presented is available. Formative evaluation results indicate the EHS Workshop: was valuable and worthwhile, provided new and useful information, and increased likelihood of seeking out scientific expertise on EHS issues. The goal of these initiatives is to provide scientific (evidence-based) information to guide EHS policy. Scientific experts can help by synthesizing the current (state-of-the-art) information and communicating it in understandable and usable terms. Multi-directional, clear, concise, communication. Factual science should be presented without bias using clear tables. Policy Makers are most interested in issues that directly affect their constituencies; may have multiple constituencies. Listen more to local people. Listen to locally-based researchers. Engage environmental protection agencies & start the conversation early. Partnerships are crucial. David Osterberg University of Iowa david-osterberg@uiowa. edu Robin Fuchs-Young Texas A&M Health Science Center fuchs-young@medicine. tamhsc. edu Doug Farquhar National Conference of State Legislatures doug. farquhar@ncsl. org Heather Reddick Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Heather. Reddick@tceq. texas. gov

APHA 3031. 0 Engaging State Policy Makers on EHS Issues: Strategies for Translating Research Results Additional Resources NCSL Summit Resources, which provides links to the EH Sciences Agenda and video links: http: //www. ncsl. org/meetings-training/2015 legislative-summit-online-resources. aspx NCSL Legislative Agenda: http: //www. ncsl. org/documents/summit 2 015/onlineresources/2015_On. Line_Agenda_Short. pdf Dr. Erin Haynes http: //www. ncsl. org/research/environment-andnatural-resources/q-and-a-with-dr-erin-haynes. aspx Dr. Elena Craft http: //www. ncsl. org/research/environment-andnatural-resources/q-and-a-with-dr-elena-craft-2015 legislative-summit. aspx Dr. Robin Fuchs-Young http: //www. ncsl. org/research/environment-andnatural-resources/q-and-a-with-dr-robin-fuchsyoung-2015 -legislative-summit. aspx Dr. Johnnye Lewis http: //www. ncsl. org/research/environment-andnatural-resources/q-and-a-with-dr-johnnye-lewis 2015 -legislative-summit. aspx Prof. David Osterberg Q and A With David Osterberg National Conference of State Legislatures http: //www. ncsl. org/ Iowa Superfund Research Program http: //iowasuperfund. uiowa. edu/ Environmental Science Research Program http: //cph. uiowa. edu/ehsrc/ Institute for Clinical & Translational Science http: //www. icts. uiowa. edu/ Center for Translational Environmental Health Research http: //www. ctehr. org/ Texas Commission on Environmental Quality TCEQ Toxicology Division http: //www. tceq. texas. gov/toxicology / Join the Toxicology List. Serv: https: //service. govdelivery. com/accounts/TXTCEQ/subscribe r/new