Government Relations Program
Purpose, Objectives, Organization, and Legislative and Regulatory Agenda
Purpose
The Health Physics Society (HPS) Government Relations Program is a coordinated effort to:
- Make the Society and its members available to government entities as an educational resource for issues related to radiation and radiation safety.
- Provide comments on proposed legislative and regulatory actions that have an effect on the mission of the Society.
- Be involved in the legislative and regulatory process for issues that affect the profession of health physics and the practice of radiation safety.
- Carry out the duties of the president and the Scientific and Public Issues Committee in the role of serving as Society spokespersons for legislative and regulatory issues.
Objectives
At its meeting in Orlando, Florida, in February 2002, the Board of Directors established the following objectives for the Government Relations Program:
- To work to have legislation, regulations, and public policies based on current, sound science and good practice in radiation safety.
- To have the Society recognized by governmental entities as an independent, professional, and expert source of information on radiation sciences and radiation safety.
- To carry out its activities in accordance with Article II, Section 3 of the Bylaws, which requires the Society to carry out its activities in such a manner as to be benevolent, educational, scientific, and without monetary profit to its organizers or members.
The Government Relations Program works towards these objectives by (1) having the Society take positions on legislation, regulations, and policies, (2) meeting with both governmental and nongovernmental entities to discuss topics of interest, and (3) helping Society members interact with governmental entities on an individual basis without influence from the Society on the content of their interaction.
Organization
The Government Relations Program is directed by the president of the Society with assistance from the Government Relations Committee, the Secretariat, and staff to carry out routine interactions with the US Congress and select federal agencies. See the organizational chart here. A registered representative monitors activities of Congress on behalf of the Society, sets up appointments for the president to meet with the Appropriations Committee and other congressional committees or their staff, and assists the president with correspondence. A federal agency liaison monitors activities of various federal agencies, sets up appointments for the president to meet with leaders of these agencies, and assists the president with correspondence and comments on proposed regulations.
Legislative and Regulatory Agenda
The HPS Government Relations Program supports legislative and regulatory priorities. These priorities are supported by official positions and position statements of the Society or by Board actions. See the Legislative and Regulatory Agenda here.
