Federal Advocacy: Learn about federal advocacy initiativesthat affect the limb loss and limb difference community. Photo United States Supreme Court

Federal advocacy refers to the organized efforts and actions undertaken by individuals, groups, or organizations to influence and shape government policies, decisions, and legislation at the national level. The goal of federal advocacy is to bring about change and/or support a particular cause by engaging with and influencing federal lawmakers, agencies, and officials.

Federal advocacy is crucial for influencing the decision-making process on a national scale, addressing issues that affect the limb loss and limb difference community, and ensuring that the concerns and needs of our community are considered in the formulation of laws and policies at the federal level.

Amputee Coalition Federal Advocacy Initiatives

Funding for the National Limb Loss Resource Center

Have you ever had a peer visit? Joined a support group? Attended the Amputee Coalition’s annual National Conference or a Limb Loss Education Day? Has your child spent a week at Youth Camp? Have you ever read one of our publications, like First Step or Take a Seat, Check Your Feet? Those resources are made possible by funding for the National Limb Loss Resource Center, the only national, comprehensive, evidence-based, and unbiased source of educational information and peer support services to promote prevention, recovery, reintegration, and the health of individuals who have limb loss or limb difference.

The Amputee Coalition operates the National Limb Loss Resource Center through a cooperative agreement with the Administration for Community Living at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Funding for the National Limb Loss Resource Center is decided every year through the Congressional appropriations process.

The Amputee Coalition maintains an active presence with members of Congress in Washington, DC, meeting with key figures involved in the appropriations process and our supporters. This is why Hill Day events and other advocacy opportunities are so important to our community.

The Triple A Study Act

The Amputee Coalition applauds a major development in support of the limb loss and limb difference community, as the federal government has initiated a study of the barriers to prosthetic device assessment and access for 2.1 million Americans with limb loss or limb difference. After many years of grassroots and Congressional support for the Triple A Study Act (a bipartisan bill that calls for the study), the authors of the legislation moved the study forward through direct engagement with the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The Congressional champions are Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Representative G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), and Representative Brett Guthrie (R-KY).

The Amputee Coalition has proudly worked to develop, support, and advocate for the Triple A Study Act to ensure equitable health care for people living with limb loss or limb difference, and to uphold a common standard for best practices in our nation’s health systems. With the active leadership and engagement of advocates from across the country, the Triple A Study Act garnered bicameral, bipartisan support prompting the legislation’s original sponsors to send a letter to GAO to request that the study commence immediately – shortcutting the longer legislative process of consideration, passage, and enactment. The GAO study began in 2023 and results are expected in 2024.

With 28 million Americans currently at risk of limb loss, it is critical to understand the barriers to care and identify solutions to positively impact members of our community. Learnings from the GAO study will help identify ways to improve the quality of life for everyone who has limb loss or limb difference. The Amputee Coalition is committed to spreading these new discoveries through all its programs, including the National Limb Loss Resource Center and the Administration of Community Living.

Policy Statements  

The Amputee Coalition frequently releases comments, letters, and statements regarding a variety of issues that affect the limb loss and limb difference community. Below is a selection of these statements: 

Join Us!

Are you interested in advocating with the Amputee Coalition?