Drive a concerted advocacy campaign to push Congress to pass the SUPPORT Act reauthorization.
Keep a broad, bipartisan coalition aligned on the SUPPORT Act’s urgency and the real-world consequences of funding gaps. Focus advocacy on the concrete decision points that determine whether programs are renewed and implemented well: committee action, floor timing, and budget follow-through. Do it while overdose harms remain high and lawmakers still see the issue as a practical, nonpartisan problem to solve.
Why this works
- This strategy clearly worked – it kept the pressure on Congress and provided cover for swift bipartisan action.
- By uniting various stakeholders (health providers, police chiefs, parents), it showed reauthorizing is a common-sense, nonpartisan action.
- It also helped fine-tune the bill by providing feedback on what was working or needed improvement (e.g., advocates helped include the extension of telehealth MAT prescribing).
Families USA
AdvocacyVoice for health care consumers
Mechanism
About LobbyingHow Families USA uses funding
- Define the objective: the specific bill, extension, or budget decision to influence.
- Build the coalition across public health, patient advocates, and local officials and align on shared talking points.
- Engage decision-makers with meetings, briefs, and testimony tied to deadlines.
- Track committee movement, amendments, and vote timing; surge outreach as windows open.
- Close the loop by documenting what passed and what implementation steps are next.
Milestones
Checkpoints and the expected timing for each step
- 1
Objective + coalition brief locked
0–30 daysA shared goal, timeline, and message brief are finalized across partners.
- 2
Decision-maker engagement executed
1–3 months (session window)Briefings and testimony support reach key offices tied to upcoming votes.
- 3
Major legislative gate cleared
3–6 monthsThe target measure advances via committee action, floor scheduling, or passage.
- 4
Implementation follow-through tracked
Ongoing after passageFunding and program guidance are monitored and publicly summarized.