Legislative Resources
Staying informed about important legislative issues that affect the health and welfare of children and their families is part of every pediatrician’s duty to our profession. Always remember that your input into the political process on behalf of our young patients does make a difference! Here are some important links to help you stay up-to-date.
Virginia General Assembly
Official website of the Virginia legislature
- Use “Who’s my legislator” to identify your representatives in the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates
- Find out how to contact your legislators by mail, phone, fax, or email
- Track state legislation by bill number or using a key word
- Access the Virginia Code
AAP Committee on State Government Affairs (COSGA)
Excellent site maintained by the American Academy of Pediatrics
- Extensive information on state legislative issues across the country
- Model bills and state legislative reports
- Excellent array of state legislative links
- Links to online health care data
Annie E. Casey Foundation KIDS COUNT Data Book
Important information about child health and well-being in America, including state-by-state data sheets.
Take a look!
Virginia Childhood Obesity Survey Report 2010
Current information about childhood obesity in Virginia
Our current State Representatives are:
Delegate David Toscano (57th District)
Capitol Office (during Legislative Session)
General Assembly Building (Room 818)
P.O. Box 406
Richmond, VA 23218
Legislative Assistant: Sarah Buckley
Phone: (804) 698-1057
Fax: (804) 786-6310
Constituent Viewpoint: (800)-889-0229
deldtoscano@house.state.va.us
District Office (after Legislative Session)
211 E. High Street
Charlottesville, VA 22902
Phone: (434) 220-1660
Fax:(434) 220-1677
david@davidtoscano.com
State Senator Creigh Deeds (25th District)
Capitol Office (during Legislative Session)
Senate of Virginia (Room 430)
P.O. Box 396
Richmond, VA 23218
Legislative Assistant: Tracy Eppard
Phone: (804) 698-7525
Fax: (804) 698-7651
district25@senate.virginia.gov
senatordeeds@embarqmail.com
District Office (after Legislative Session)
P.O. Box 5462
Charlottesville, VA 22905-5462
Phone: (434) 296-5491
Fax: (434) 296-5949
Physical Location: Citizens Commonwealth Center
300 Preston Avenue, Suite 310
AAP Department of Federal Affairs
Log-in for AAP Members
- Up-to-date information on federal legislative issues pending in Washington, D.C.
- Sample letters to elected officials, how to contact your officials, and current issues and “talking points” to include in your communications
- Feature to identify your congressional representatives using your zip code
- Track the votes of your federal elected officials!
- FAAN (Federal Advocacy Action Network) of interested pediatricians who wish to respond to federal legislative issues as they progress through the legislative process (you can join up right on this site!); this is a quick and easy way to communicate your concerns for children’s health and welfare to Washington
- Contact information and links to individual websites of your representatives
- Track federal legislation by bill number or key word
- Lots more, including an overview of the legislative process
Vote Smart: Identify your representatives in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives
Our current Representative and Senators for the State of Virginia are:
Location:1516 Longworth
House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4711
Fax: (202) 225-5681
Location:B40C Dirksen
Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-2023
Fax: (202) 224-6295
Location:B40C Dirksen
Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-4024
Fax: (202) 224-5432
Kaiser Family Foundation
- Making Health Care Work for American Families: Medicaid and Access to Care
- Children’s Health Insurance Reauthorization Act of 2009: Fact Sheet
- Next Steps in Covering Uninsured Children: Findings from the Kaiser Survey of Children’s Health Coverage
- Medicaid: A Primer
Georgetown Center for Children and Families
Health Affairs
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- Maximizing Kid’s Enrollment in Medicaid and SCHIP
- State of the States: Charting the Course: Preparing for the Future, Learning from the Past
Urban Institute
The Commonwealth Fund
- Can Patient-Centered Medical Homes Transform Health Care Delivery?
- The Path to a High Performance U.S. Health System: A 2020 Vision and Policies to Pave the Way
Election Time!
Voting is one of the most important ways that you can effectively promote children’s health care issues.
- City of Charlottesville Voter Registration & Elections
- Albemarle County Voter Registration & Elections
More Useful Links
Too Close to Turn Back: Covering America’s Children
Center for Children and Families, Georgetown University
Very readable summary of the current state of children’s health insurance coverage, the important role of Medicaid and SCHIP, and the need to continue supporting these programs.
CAHMI Data Resource Center
The Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative (CAHMI) provides national and state-level findings from its 2005/06 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (NS-CSHCN). “Point and click” online access to NS-CSHCN data on over 100 child health indicators. Select and download findings for various population subgroups including household income level, race/ethnicity, and insurance coverage. The NS-CSHCN is a national survey sponsored and designed by the federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau, and administered by the National Center for Health Statistics. The survey provides national and state-specific estimates for children with special health care needs, in combination with other information about their health, health care needs, and the quality of care CSHCN receive.