NURS 6050 Assignment: Legislation Grid and Testimony/Advocacy Statement

Health-Related Bill Name: Promoting Physical Activity for Americans Act
Bill Number: S. 1301
Description: The bill in question is sponsored by Senator Sherrod Brown, who represents Ohio and belongs to the Democratic party (Govtrack, 2021). This bill was initially introduced in the House of Representatives on April 22, 2021. Its primary objective is to empower the Secretary for Health and Human Services (HHS) to publish a comprehensive report on physical activity and evidence-based interventions designed to address specific health measures. Additionally, the bill mandates the HHS secretary to disseminate research-based interventions aimed at promoting physical activity among specific segments of the community. Furthermore, any federal agency wishing to promote physical activity must base their initiatives on the published research reports.

Federal or State? Federal
Legislative Intent: The legislative intent of this bill is twofold. Firstly, it aims to leverage the latest medical innovations and research to enhance the promotion of physical activity within communities. Secondly, it seeks to ensure that population-specific interventions are employed when promoting physical activity. Given the rising rates of obesity and lifestyle-related diseases, the bill’s intent is to enhance the effectiveness of physical activity promotion strategies to further increase community involvement in physical activity. This, in turn, is expected to contribute to improved patient outcomes.

Proponents/ Opponents Proponents: Those in favor of this bill include its sponsoring legislators, healthcare professionals, and community members, particularly those at risk of obesity and lifestyle-related diseases.

Opponents: The Secretary for HHS may raise objections to the bill, primarily on the grounds of the cost associated with conducting research and publishing the report every ten years.

Target Population The bill’s target population encompasses all United States citizens, especially those who are at risk of obesity due to not meeting the minimum requirements for physical activity.

Status of the bill (Is it in hearings or committees?) The bill passed the Senate on July 30, 2021, through a voice vote (Govtrack, 2021). It will be sent to the House for a second review before proceeding to subsequent stages.

General Notes/Comments

The bill presented by Senator Sherrod Brown presents a significant opportunity to promote physical activity and, consequently, improve interventions to combat obesity. With two sponsors, the bill is projected to have a strong likelihood of becoming law, with an estimated probability of at least 48%, owing to its feasibility and relevance to the current health landscape.

Legislation Testimony/Advocacy Statement

Regarding the bill at hand, my personal stance is aligned with the proponents, and I strongly support this bill. It introduces a sound approach to promoting physical activity by advocating for the implementation of evidence-based interventions (Bowen, et al., 2021). The United States has witnessed a persistent increase in obesity rates over time. Between 1999 and 2000, the obesity rate was 30.5%, whereas it surged to 42.4% between 2017 and 2018 (Gelius, et al., 2020). Obesity is closely associated with an elevated risk of various lifestyle diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and specific types of cancers, which are among the top ten leading causes of death in the United States. Only 19.3% of U.S. citizens meet the minimum recommended physical activity level, indicating a substantial demand for improved interventions to promote physical activity. Physical activity is a crucial element contributing to body weight management, alongside dietary choices, making its promotion of paramount importance.

NRS-429VN Family-Centered Health Promotion GCU

Regarding the bill’s opponents and their counter-arguments about the cost of conducting research and publishing reports every ten years, it is essential to highlight that this ten-year interval is relatively wide (Bowen, et al., 2021). Additionally, opponents should be made aware of the substantial annual costs associated with obesity. The estimated cost of adult obesity in the United States ranges from $147 billion to $210 billion annually (Piercy, et al., 2018). These costs encompass productivity losses in the workplace and expenses related to treating obesity-related conditions, which are significantly higher than the expenses incurred in conducting research for a decade to publish a report. NURS 6050 Assignment: Legislation Grid and Testimony/Advocacy Statement Opponents should also recognize the importance of utilizing evidence-based interventions, as this approach ensures the integration of the latest research findings into practice. Given the dynamic nature of clinical practices, embracing research in promoting physical activity is crucial.

References

Bowen, P. G., Opoku-Agyeman, W., Clay, O. J., McCaskill, G., Mixon, V., Sen, B. P., … & Martin, M. Y. (2021). Promoting Physical Activity Through Policy at a Single Safety-Net Clinic: A Pilot Study. Translational Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, 6(2), e000160.

Gelius, P., Messing, S., Goodwin, L., Schow, D., & Abu-Omar, K. (2020). What are effective policies for promoting physical activity? A systematic review of reviews. Preventive medicine reports, 18, 101095.

Govtrack, (2021) S. 1301: Promoting Physical Activity for Americans Act. Retrieved from: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/117/s1301

Piercy, K. L., Troiano, R. P., Ballard, R. M., Carlson, S. A., Fulton, J. E., Galuska, D. A., … & Olson, R. D. (2018). The physical activity guidelines for Americans. Jama, 320(19), 2020-2028.

Assignment: Legislation Comparison and Advocacy Declaration

As a nurse, how often have you thought to yourself, If I had anything to do about it, things would work a little differently? Increasingly, nurses are beginning to realize that they do, in fact, have a role and a voice.

Many nurses encounter daily experiences that motivate them to take on an advocacy role in hopes of impacting policies, laws, or regulations that impact healthcare issues of interest. Of course, doing so means entering the less familiar world of policy and politics. While many nurses do not initially feel prepared to operate in this space effectively, the reward is the opportunity to shape and influence future health policy.

To Prepare:

Select a bill that has been proposed (not one that has been enacted) using the congressional websites provided in the Learning Resources. NURS 6050 Assignment: Legislation Comparison and Advocacy Declaration.

The Assignment: (1- to 2-page Legislation Comparison Grid; 1-page Legislation Testimony/Advocacy Statement)

Be sure to add a title page, an introduction, purpose statement, and a conclusion. This is an APA paper.

Part 1: Legislation Grid

Based on the health-related bill (proposed, not enacted) you selected, complete the Legislation Grid Template. Be sure to address the following:

Determine the legislative intent of the bill you have reviewed.
Identify the proponents/opponents of the bill.
Identify the target populations addressed by the bill.
Where in the process is the bill currently? Is it in hearings or committees?

Part 2: Legislation Testimony/Advocacy Statement

Based on the health-related bill you selected, develop a 1-page Legislation Testimony/Advocacy Statement that addresses the following:

Advocate a position for the bill you selected and write testimony in support of your position.
Describe how you would address the opponent to your position. Be specific and provide examples.
Utilize at least 2 outside resources and 2-3 course-specific resources. NURS 6050 Assignment: Legislation Comparison and Advocacy Declaration.

NURS 6050 Assignment: Legislation Grid and Testimony/Advocacy Statement

Legislation Grid and Advocacy Statement

Legislation Grid

Health-related Bill Name	Promoting Physical Activity for Americans Act
Bill Number	S. 1301
Description	The identified bill is sponsored by Sharrod Brown, the senior Senator for Ohio (Govtrack, 2021). The Senator is a democrat. The bill was first introduced to the House of Representatives on April 22, 2021.The bill seeks to authorize the Secretary for Health and Human Services (HHS) to be publishing a report on physical activity and the interventions aimed at controlling specific measures of interest. The bill also requires that the secretary for HHS to publish evidence-based intervention aimed at promoting physical activity among specific populations of the community. The bill would also require that any other federal agency that would wish to promote physical activity among the community members should base on the published research-based report. NURS 6050 Assignment: Legislation Grid and Testimony/Advocacy Statement.
Federal or State?	Federal
Legislative Intent	The legislative intent of the bill is to foster the utilization of the latest medical innovation and research in the promotion of physical activity among the communities. The other intent is to ensure that population specific interventions are used when promoting physical activity. With the increase in the rate of obesity and lifestyle diseases, the legislative intent of the bill is to improve effectiveness of physical activity promotion practices so as to further improve the rate of community members involved in physical activity within the community. NURS 6050 Assignment: Legislation Grid and Testimony/Advocacy Statement The rate of obesity and lifestyle related diseases would be fostered in the quality of the patient intervention.
Proponents/ Opponents	Proponents: Sponsoring legislators, the healthcare professionals and the members of the community especially at risk of developing obesity and lifestyle diseases.
	Opponents: The secretary for HHS would likely challenge the bill with the basis of the cost of carrying out research for publishing the report after every 10 years.
Target Population	NURS 6050 Assignment: Legislation Grid and Testimony/Advocacy Statement The bill targets all the citizens of the United States especially considering that a large proportion are at risk of being obese because of not meeting the minimum requirements for physical activity.
Status of the bill (Is it in hearings or committees?)	The bill was passed by the Senate on 30th July 2021 through a voice vote (Govtrack, 2021). The bill will be forwarded to the House for the second time before proceeding to the next subsequent stages.
General Notes/Comments	The bill, presented by Sherrod Brown is considered to offer a uniquely important opportunity for the promotion of physical activity and in essence improve the intervention to combat obesity. The bill with two sponsors is projected to be having at least 48% probability of being ascended into law because of its feasibility and relevance to the prevailing situation.

 

Legislation Testimony/Advocacy Statement

The personal position in the bill in question is to join the proponents and thus support the bill. The bill proposes a suitable approach for promoting physical activity considering that it proposes the implementation of evidence-based intervention (Bowen, et al. 2021). The rate of obesity in the United States has been consistently growing over time. The rate of obesity between 1999 and 2000 was 30.5% as compared to the rate of 42.4% between 2017 and 2018 (Gelius, et al. 2020) NURS 6050 Assignment: Legislation Grid and Testimony/Advocacy Statement. Obesity is also closely associated with an increased risk of various lifestyle diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and certain types of cancers. The lifestyle health conditions are among the top ten leading causes of death in the United States. Only 19.3% of the United States citizens meet the minimum recommended physical activity rate and thus indicating a significantly high demand for better interventions to promote physical activity. Physical activity is a key element that contributes to body weight besides diet. Promoting physical activity is therefore considered to be important.

Considering the opponents for the bill the bill base counter-arguments on the cost carrying out research to publish the reports after 10 years, it would be vital to consider that 10 years is a significantly wide interval (Bowen, et al. 2021). The opponents should also be informed about the extreme cost incurred annually due to obesity. It is estimated that the cost associated with adult obesity ranges between $147 billion to 210 billion annually (Piercy, et al. 2018). The high cost due to unproductivity at workplace and the cost of treatment for obesity related conditions is higher as compared to the cost of carrying out research for 10 years to publish a report. NURS 6050 Assignment: Legislation Grid and Testimony/Advocacy Statement The opponents should also be informed about the importance of utilizing evidence-based intervention since it helps to promote the utilization of the latest research findings into practice. Considering the dynamic nature of clinical practices, it is important to embrace research even when promoting physical activity.

References

Bowen, P. G., Opoku-Agyeman, W., Clay, O. J., McCaskill, G., Mixon, V., Sen, B. P., … & Martin, M. Y. (2021). Promoting Physical Activity Through Policy at a Single Safety-Net Clinic: A Pilot Study. Translational Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, 6(2), e000160.

Gelius, P., Messing, S., Goodwin, L., Schow, D., & Abu-Omar, K. (2020). What are effective policies for promoting physical activity? A systematic review of reviews. Preventive medicine reports, 18, 101095.

Govtrack, (2021) S. 1301: Promoting Physical Activity for Americans Act. Retrieved from: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/117/s1301 NURS 6050 Assignment: Legislation Grid and Testimony/Advocacy Statement

Piercy, K. L., Troiano, R. P., Ballard, R. M., Carlson, S. A., Fulton, J. E., Galuska, D. A., … & Olson, R. D. (2018). The physical activity guidelines for Americans. Jama, 320(19), 2020-2028.

 

Assignment: Legislation Grid and Testimony/Advocacy Statement