Since the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act (ELSA) was re-introduced, it has received incredible bi-partisan support in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.
During our Advocacy Day on the Hill events, our advocates fight for ELSA to get passed in the current session of the U.S. Congress, and on Monday, April 4, 2022, ELSA was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives!
This federal legislation would require private insurance to cover medically necessary services resulting from congenital anomalies.
Going to the Hill (Virtually) Three Times!
In 2022, advocates showed up three times to fight for ELSA during NFED sponsored Virtual Advocacy Days in March, June and October.
We held our third (virtual) trip to Capitol Hill this year on October 19. Committed advocates, including children, teens and adults, asked their U.S. Senators to make ELSA a priority before the end of the year and get it advanced through Congress so the President can sign it into law. Legislative staff thanked our advocates, praised their persistence and attributed ELSA’s success and progress to it.
On June 21, the NFED hosted our second advocacy day event in support of the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act. The NFED’s Advocacy Day with The Senate saw over 300 advocates meet with 49 U.S. Senate offices. Their mission was to ask their senators to co-sponsor the bill and to help move it through the Senate H.E.L.P. Committee.
This year’s first Advocacy Day took place on March 23, just five days prior to ELSA going to the U.S. House of Representatives for a vote. Because our advocates raised their voices and bravely told their stories, the House passed ELSA! This is an extraordinary milestone for this life-changing bill, but our work is not done. To become a law, ELSA must be passed by the U.S. Senate and then signed into law by the President.
The Clock is Ticking, and There’s Still Work to Do!
We have a few short weeks left to make ELSA a reality in this Congress, or we will have to start our efforts all over again.
Here’s What You Can Do
- Use our quick and easy webtool to send a message directly to your legislators. We have written the message for you, and it includes information specifically for your legislators. This only takes a couple of minutes!
- Post about the #EnsuringLastingSmiles Act on social media, tag your legislators, and ask them to please prioritize passage of ELSA in the 117th Congress.
- Ask everyone in your network (your family, dog walker, coworkers, barista, etc.) to contact their legislators, too!