Austin Community College students are preparing to take part in a mock congressional hearing on healthcare reform legislation this Saturday, February 13, at the Texas Capitol.

The event, sponsored by ACC’s Center for Public Policy & Political Studies (CPPPS) and other organizations, will feature ACC and UT students filling the roles of Democratic and Republican members of Congress. They will hear expert testimony on the issues of primary care expansion, patient safety, hospital staffing, and healthcare for the uninsured and underinsured.

Members of the public are invited to observe the hearing.

“This is a unique opportunity for the students involved to learn about the legislative process while also having an objective and factual debate about some of the issues involved in healthcare reform,” says Peck Young, CPPPS director. “For those who come to watch, it will be an informative and interesting program.”

The National Nurses Organizing Committee joined faculty from ACC, the University of Texas at Austin’s LBJ School of Public Affairs, and UT School of Law to prepare students for the event.

The mock hearing begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, February 13 in the House Appropriation Committee Room (Capitol Extension room E1.030; the State Capitol is located at 11^th Street & Congress Avenue).

 For more information, please contact Carla Jackson, associate director of CPPPS, at [email protected] or (512) 223.7049.