Without Dues-paying SDCMS-CMA Member Physicians, All of This Would Disappear

Approximately 5,500 bills were introduced during the 2007–08 legislative session in Sacramento — CMA’s government relations team read each one of them.

Approximately 2,500 bills have been introduced so far in the current 2009–10 legislative session in Sacramento — CMA’s government relations team continues to read them all.

CMA sponsors approximately five to seven bills during each legislative session.

Sponsoring a bill means formally supporting that bill and being its primary advocate. CMA’s government relations team is responsible for testifying, for lobbying, and for the general health and well-being of getting all of CMA’s sponsored bills through the legislative process during each legislative session.

CMA usually opposes from five to 10 major bills during each legislative session — bills ranging from scope-of-practice expansions, to corporate bar bills (three in 2010 alone), to major mandates interfering with the physician-patient relationship, etc.

CMA will closely follow approximately 500 bills in 2010.

CMA employs four full-time staff lobbyists and one full-time chief lobbyist.

CMA’s staff lobbyists are responsible for bills by issue area, with each lobbyist following approximately 50–70 bills and actively lobbying approximately 20 bills.

Each CMA lobbyist has two to four sponsored bills.

Each CMA lobbyist has major support and major oppose bills that require heavy advocacy in the Legislature.

CMA’s chief lobbyist is involved in each bill.

Typically, CMA’s lobbyists each spend 25 hours or more each week in the Capitol, depending on the length of the committees or major bills up in hearings.

Toward the end of the legislative session, each of CMA’s lobbyists may spend as many as 50 hours or more in the Capitol during the week.