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Advocacy and Government Affairs
CPA is committed to advocating for the adoption of sensible, workable laws that respect and advance the practice of psychology and patient well-being, the sanctity and confidentiality of the psychologist-patient relationship, and the availability of critically-needed mental health services in California.
Psychologists play an important role in the decision making of California’s elected leaders. By becoming a part of CPA’s Government Affairs team you can provide important information to our elected officials so their deliberations and decisions are a result of a thorough review of the issues involved.
CPA is a constant presence before the California Legislature and the Governor's Administration. We are there, working on behalf of our members on issues such as Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance company reimbursement. We are there, keeping our members informed of the constantly changing government regulations.
As a member of CPA, you will have access to the following services in the Member’s Section of this website:
“Capitol Notes”
Obtain a solid sense of connection to CPA and all that we do for you in the Government Affairs arena on your behalf. The “Capitol Notes” electronic newsletter is posted every other week during legislative session and periodically when the legislature is not in session.
Legislation Reports
Get up to the minute information on all current California legislation being tracked by CPA, which are grouped by support, oppose, and watch positions.
Contact Your Legislators
Through our CapWiz online program, you can send a letter to a member of Congress, the State Senate, or the State Assembly in a few simple steps.
Search For Bills
Search for any state legislation currently before the California State Legislature or federal legislation currently being debated at the Capitol.
California Law By Code Section
Direct access to California’s Official Database of current California Law.
General Legislative Information
View current legislator biographies and websites, committee assignments and key committee staff, as well as the official legislative calendar and rules.
Legislative District Search
Find your California legislative representatives using a zip code search engine.
Chapter and Division GAC Representatives
Find out who represents you in the GAC Stakeholder Group and get in contact them to make your voice heard.
Grassroots Advocacy
CPA has 22 local Chapters in California. Chapters are characterized as a single, affiliated group of psychologists within a geographic area of the state. The jurisdictions of Chapters may be an entire county or a combination of counties. Chapters allow psychologists to concentrate their efforts in particular communities or districts of the State in community programs, legislative advocacy or, disaster response and community healing.
The only way CPA can have a strong voice is if it has a commitment from its Chapters. CPA’s Chapter structure provides an extraordinary opportunity to affect policy and regulatory decisions at the state and local levels. The power and future of CPA is its Chapters because elected officials pay special attention to their own constituents. Constituents, or voters, are the backbone of politics. No elected official can survive without voters. The power of grassroots lobbying is to utilize individual voters (psychologists) across the state to create a favorable environment for psychology’s legislative agenda. Grassroots power is a plan to work together to be able to field a team at a moment's notice to manage crises, win passage of legislation, or defeat passage of harmful legislation.
Political Action Committee
The political process has a major impact on professional psychology. All licenses to practice psychology are issued by the State of California. Our state legislators in Sacramento ultimately determine the statutes and regulations that govern your practice. These one hundred and twenty elected representatives are routinely called upon to approve or reject legislation that has a direct bearing on the nature and practice of all health professions - including psychology. In this section you will learn more about what the CPA-PAC is doing to work with California legislators to ensure that they represent you and your interests fully.
Who Can Contribute to CPA-PAC? Anyone and everyone with an interest in quality mental health care. Psychologists, family members, friends, vendors and suppliers, and patients may all make contributions to CPA-PAC. If you would like to make a donation to the Political Action Committee, or obtain more information regarding the PAC, please contact Matthew Yeates at
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For Additional Government Affairs Information
CPA makes every attempt to provide its members with the necessary information and training needed to successfully advocate for the issues of importance to psychologists. For more information regarding Government Affairs please contact either Amanda Levy, Director of Government Affairs, at (800) 995-8606, ext. 106 or at
or Matthew Yeates, Grassroots Manager and PAC Assistant, at (800) 995-8606, ext. 107 or at
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