PTA LEGISLATIVE PROGRAMS

The National PTA legislative program is the primary authority for action taken by National PTA on federal legislation, rules, or regulations. It entails five components: legislative policies, which are broad statements that define the fields of advocacy concern; legislative directives, which are the association’s current legislation priorities based on what is expected to be at the forefront of the federal legislative and administrative agenda; policy statements, which are broad statements on children’s issues that form the basis for resolutions and position statements that become official when they are passed by delegates at the National PTA Annual Convention or by the National PTA Board of Directors; resolutions with legislative intent can be proposed by any PTA, the National PTA Board of Directors recommends resolutions for consideration by delegates at the National PTA Annual Convention and they must be approved by the convention body and then ratified by the National PTA Board of Directors to become positions of the organization; and position statements, which are initiated by committees of the National PTA and approved by the National PTA Board of Directors. Convention resolutions with legislative intent and position statements adopted by the National PTA help to guide advocacy activity. The National PTA legislative program, adopted every other year, is mailed to all local unit and council presidents and state and National PTA leaders. 

The Pennsylvania PTA legislative program is adopted every two years at the state PTA convention. The program is drafted by the state legislation committee, with input from PTA members across the state, and printed in the Convention Supplement of PTA in Pennsylvania. Local units and councils should share the proposed platform with all members at PTA meetings. By doing so, they can decide to accept or recommend changes to the proposed platform. At the convention, your voting delegates express their concerns and vote to adopt, amend, or reject the proposed program. Once adopted, the platform is used for a two-year period and becomes the advocacy authority of the Pennsylvania PTA.