Government Affairs and Public Policy Committee

Committee Chair

Susan Cronn, DNP, RN, FNP-BCChair

Advocacy News

05/31/22
Proceedings from the Medical Summit on Firearm Injury Prevention: A Public Health Approach to Reduce Death and Disability in the US
An historic meeting of 44 major medical and injury prevention organizations and the American Bar Association was hosted by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) February 10-11, 2019. Leaders of these professional organizations met with the goal of building consensus around opportunities to work together to address the growing problem of firearm injury and death in the US.
Click here for more information.

8/13/20
House of Representatives Votes to Fully Fund MISSION ZERO Act
The US House of Representatives passed their Fiscal Year 21 Appropriations bill to fund the Department of Health and included $11.5 million to fully fund the MISSION ZERO grant program. This grant was established by the passage of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act to place military trauma teams in civilian hospitals so that they may cross train with civilian trauma departments, as well as keep their skills fresh in-between deployments. The passage of the FY21 Appropriations measure provides the funds necessary for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) to authorize these grants.

The Society of Trauma Nurses, along with a coalition of trauma groups including the Trauma Centers Association of American (TCAA) has advocated on Capitol Hill for the implementation of MISSON ZERO. This law was based on the recommendations made in a report by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. Placing military trauma teams in civilian hospitals would serve to further hone their skills by allow them to transfer those skills learned on the battlefield to civilian trauma care.

STN will continue to work with our partners in the trauma coalition to advocate for this funding as the Senate reconciles their appropriations bill with the House version. We thank our Congressional champions for their hard work in achieving passage in the House, especially Representatives Donald Norcross (D-NJ), Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), Michael Burgess (R-TX), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD).

09/24/19
"Gun Safety and Your Health" Brochure: Co-branding Versions Are Available!

08/22/19
The Society of Trauma Nurses, and the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma, exhibited this year at the 2019 National Conference of State Legislatures Summit in Nashville ,TN. The NCSL Legislative Summit attracts over 6000 attendees ranging from state legislators and their staff, to other interest groups and policy makers. We were excited to be joined by volunteers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center and TriStar Skyline Medical Center as we gave hands on examples of Bleeding Control training to attendees. Bleeding Control, or BCON, legislation was introduced in 14 states last session, and passed in four of those (Indiana, Texas, Arkansas, and Georgia).

We were able to speak with legislators from those states on how implementation was going, and forge new partnerships with legislators from other states interested in championing BCON in their own states. For more information on our efforts and how to get involved, contact STN Director of Public Policy Adam Haley.

05/20/19
The Society of Trauma Nurses is excited to report that the Prevent BLEEDing Act has been introduced in the 116th Congress by Rep. Alcee Hastings (FL-20) and Rep. Brad Wenstrup (OH-2). It would provide $10 million in federal grant funding by amending the Homeland Security act of 2002 to increase access to bleeding control kits and their training. It would also allow for states to use the funding to put supplies in public and privately owned spaces where these kits would not be commonly used (schools, libraries, malls, etc). It would require grant recipients to make sure the bleeding control kits are publicly accessible. The STN has moved to formerly endorse this legislation and encourages our members to contact their legislators in support of the bill. For more information contact STN Director of Public Policy Adam Haley, at ahaley@traumanurses.org. Click here to read the endorsement letter.

09/27/18
The FY19 Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services and Education (LHHS) appropriations bill has passed both the House and Senate and is on its way to the President for signature. This contains funding for HRSA (EMSC), the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant (which provides a portion of funding to several state EMS offices), Public Health Preparedness and Response, CDC and more. It also provides new funding for Grants to Prevent Prescription Drug/Opioid Overdose and First Responder Training.

House Appropriations Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen made the following statement on the legislation: “…the legislation funds human service programs that will protect and save lives both now and in the future, This includes investments in vital National Institutes of Health research to cure diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s, job training, college preparation, special education programs, programs to combat opioid abuse, school safety, and protections against pandemics and bio-threats.

02/26/18
H.R. 880, the MISSION ZERO Act, passes US House of Representatives

The Military Injury Surgical Systems Integrated Operationally Nationwide to Achieve Zero Preventable Deaths Act, known as H.R. 880 or the MISSION ZERO act, has cleared a key legislative hurdle by passing the US House of Representatives. MISSION ZERO was introduced by Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX) and Rep. Gene Green (D-TX) would establish a grant program to encourage trauma centers to incorporate military trauma teams and individuals into their programs. This would serve to further hone the skills of military trauma care specialists by allowing them to transfer the skills learned on the battlefield to civilian trauma care.

“Unfortunately no community is immune from the threat of traumatic injury. The MISSION ZERO Act will connect American patients with battle-tested trauma care and the expertise of military trauma care providers,” said Rep. Burgess. “These grants will keep our military trauma preparedness high while increasing the capacity and expertise of these domestic trauma centers across the United States. Simply put, the MISSION ZERO Act is a win for both civilian patients and military doctors.”

“As we grapple with how to best support our men and women in uniform and respond to tragedies at home, we must make certain that our trauma systems and centers are best prepared to save lives,” said Rep. Green. “This grant program will support the development of a national trauma care system that allows for the continuous and seamless exchange of knowledge across the military and civilian health care sectors, which would better provide optimal delivery of trauma care to save the lives of Americans injured within the United States or on the battlefield.

The Society of Trauma Nurses is pleased to see this piece of legislation make it’s way to the Senate, where a bipartisan companion bill, S.1022, has been introduced by Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and Sen. Tammy Duckworth (R-IL). We encourage the Senate to take up the bill and move this important policy forward!

10.16/2017
Protecting Patient Access to Emergency Medications Act of 2017 Passes Senate

STN is happy to announce that H.R. 304 the “Protecting Patient Access to Emergency Medications Act of 2017” as introduced by Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC-08) has passed the US Senate with an amendment by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA). The bill will be sent back to the House for concurrence before heading to President Trump’s desk. This bipartisan bill that will clarify existing law to allow emergency medical responders to administer controlled substances, such as pain narcotics and anti-seizure medications, under the supervision of a physician. This bill was previously passed in the 114th Congress as H.R. 4365 with the endorsement of the Society of Trauma Nurses.

6/06/2017
STN Formally Endorses the MISSION ZERO Act

STN commends Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX), for reintroducing the Military Injury Surgical Systems Integrated Operationally Nationwide to Achieve Zero Preventable Deaths Act in the 115th Congress as S.1022 and H.880 respectively. The act would assign Department of Defense trauma surgeons to level I, II, and III civilian trauma centers at the recommendation of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine in order to address variations of care methods and provide additional training. The act would also create the Military and Civilian Partnership for Trauma Readiness Grant Program. Grants would be awarded to up to 20 eligible trauma centers to allow military trauma teams to provide full-time trauma care and related acute care at those centers provided the recipients allow those teams to be deployed by the DoD for military operations, training, and mass casualty events.

“Acute care at trauma centers nationwide will greatly benefit from increased access to the highly qualified, can-do medical professionals in our military,” said Isakson, who serves as chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. “Integrating our nation’s best trauma centers with military doctors who regularly operate in high-pressure situations will greatly benefit Americans.”

Click here to view the official STN letter of endorsement and contact your legislator today and ask them to cosponsor the legislation. To find your member of the House of Representatives, click here. To contact your Senator, click here. For more information contact Government Affairs Coordinator Adam Haley at ahaley@traumanurses.org.

01/09/2017
STN Endorsed Legislation H.R. 304 passes the House of Representatives

STN is happy to announce that H.R. 304 the “Protecting Patient Access to Emergency Medications Act of 2017” as introduced by Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC-08) has passed the US House of Representatives. This bipartisan bill that will clarify existing law to allow emergency medical responders to administer controlled substances, such as pain narcotics and anti-seizure medications, under the supervision of a physician. This bill was previously passed in the 114th Congress as H.R. 4365 with the endorsement of the Society of Trauma Nurses. It now awaits action in the U.S. Senate and STN will closely monitor any developments as they occur.

11/08/16
Sponsor of the “National Trauma Care System Act” Rep. Tammy Duckworth wins Senate race in Illinois.

Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) has won election to the US Senate in the state of Illinois. Rep. Duckworth had recently introduced the “National Trauma Care System Act” and the Society of Trauma Nurses endorsed the legislation. Our staff has been in contact with her office to offer our congratulations and our commitment to working together to advance this critical piece of legislation going forward.

State Trauma Legislation



Is your office/organization seeking the Society of Trauma Nurses input or endorsement on legislation? Contact our headquarters office.

Adam Haley
Government Affairs Coordinator – Society of Trauma Nurses
1024 Capital Center Drive, Suite 205, Frankfort, KY 40601
ahaley@traumanurses.org

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The Society of Trauma Nurses is a professional nonprofit organization whose mission is to ensure optimal trauma care to all people locally, regionally, nationally and globally through initiatives focused on trauma nurses related to prevention, education and collaboration with other healthcare disciplines.

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