At the Board of Trustees meeting in March 2000, the Board voted to establish the Commission on Public Policy, Litigation, and Advocacy (CoPPLA). At its July meeting, the Board approved the following mission statement for CoPPLA:
CoPPLA is charged with reviewing requests, usually from APA district branches and state associations, for financial support of projects involving legislation, litigation, and advocacy; with making recommendations regarding funding for these projects to the Board of Trustees; and with proposing coordinated activity by other APA components, district branches, and state associations.
To carry out its mission, CoPPLA will weigh the following factors to select the issues or activities that will be funded:
1. The national significance of the proposed activity to psychiatric patients and the practice of psychiatry
2. The relevance of the issue as measured against the strategic plan and priorities of APA
3. The extent and nature of the DB/SA or APA component involvement in addressing the issue
4. The nature and involvement of the American Medical Association or its state or medical specialty society entities or other mental health professional and patient advocacy groups regarding the activity contemplated
5. When the request before CoPPLA involves litigation, it will be first reviewed by the Commission’s Litigation Advisory Group regarding
A. The clarity of the issue presented by the case under consideration
B. The precedential value of the proposed litigation
C. The availability in lieu of litigation of other options and the viability of those options
D. The likelihood of success of the litigation
E. The costs of litigation, both financial and nonfinancial
6. The appropriateness of DB/SA documentation of the problem and specifically its advocacy use of CoPPLA funds. In the case of litigation, a report from the attorney describing the purpose of the litigation and the legal grounding of the case will be first presented to the Commission’s Litigation Advisory Group.
When a district branch or state society wants to request funds through CoPPLA, it must first provide a written request explaining the issue at stake, efforts it has taken to address the issue, how it would use the funds, other funding sources it can tap including its own resources, and an agreement to provide a report on expenditures and the outcome of the project.
The Board of Trustees may ask a DB/SA to share the cost of the proposed project or litigation; in some instances they may set a cap on DB/SA expenses.
CoPPLA will provide the Board with a recommendation regarding each request “and where appropriate, and to the maximum extent possible, ensure there is a three-pronged approach to litigation that includes appropriate consultation and involvement respecting government relations and public affairs activities. Likewise, if an activity is focused on either government relations or public affairs, there would be an integrated approach.”
In those rare instances in which a decision must be arrived at urgently, APA’s executive action mechanism will be used.
