PVMA strives to advance and protect the practice of veterinary medicine by having an influential presence in Harrisburg. No one else is better positioned to educate the legislature on the importance of veterinary medicine in the Commonwealth and the impact the profession has on animal health and welfare, public health, and food safety.
We have become the go-to resource for our leaders and we work everyday to advocate on behalf of veterinarians. We accomplish this through legislative bill monitoring, regular legislative visits, and grassroots opportunities like our annual Legislative Day for our Members.
As PVMA’s leadership continues to advocate for the veterinary profession in Harrisburg, we need your help!
PVMA knows that you don’t have the time to speak to our legislators in person on issues that affect our profession, such as animal health and welfare, food safety and security, and other One Health matters. That’s why PVMA leadership is at work in Harrisburg building bonds by working collaboratively with your state legislators.
The PVMA’s advocacy efforts are your eyes, ears and voice in the Pennsylvania Legislature. The Legislative and Regulatory Affairs Committee serves as the liaison between your grassroots concerns and the PVMA Board of Directors in an advisory capacity. We act on your behalf to strengthen and to protect the veterinary profession, by forming in-person relationships of mutual respect with Pennsylvania’s representatives and senators.
Mary Jane McNamee, JD, VMD
PVMA’s
Legislative & Regulatory Affairs (LRAC) Chair
Having strong legislative relationships provides a window into the legislative process for you, our Members, and can aid in grassroots lobbying efforts for PVMA.
Building relationships with Pennsylvania lawmakers is vitally important and puts us in the best possible position to advocate for or against bills and issues that affect our profession.
Building relationships with lawmakers does not happen overnight, or in a single electoral cycle. Supporting elected officials who support your interests is a fundamentally worthwhile process. The more allies you have inside the Capitol, especially those with whom you can quickly schedule a meeting or call, the easier it will be to advocate for our causes.
Having a PAC can raise and spend money to elect or defeat candidates for office. It is imperative that we continue to raise money to fight for the veterinary profession. They also function as a tool to help build relationships with elected officials.
It is essential that we find lawmakers who support our causes, as they will be the ones pushing for our policy goals inside the Capitol. A functioning PAC allows us to make donations to a candidate, aiding in their election or reelection efforts. Supporting allies in their elections is vitally important to advancing our policy goals and allows us to be a visible and valuable player.
As experts in our field, lawmakers depend upon our insights and analysis on the issues that matter most to us. PACs help us get the veterinary profession in front of elected officials to explain why a bill or issue could help or hinder our profession.
Making sure our PAC continues, engages PVMA to have a seat at the table during the legislative process, and highlights us as critical stakeholders for the issues we stand for. Suppose a committee is holding a hearing on a bill or issue. Lawmakers know who we are, value the information we provide, and may
invite us to contribute testimony.
Pennsylvania Veterinary
Medical Association
PO Box 468
Elizabethtown, PA 17022
Phone: (717) 220-1437
Office Hours:
Monday-Friday
8:00 am-4:00 pm
Ⓒ 2024 Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association
