Quick Links
Legislative Activism
Political Activism
Donate to a Political Action Committee (PAC) or an advocacy fund that is in support of expanding practice for Texas Nurse Practitioners:
Join a Texas based Nurse Practitioner organization:
TNP membership- Join TNP
Call a legislator:
Who is my legislator-Who represents me
During Your Call
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Identify yourself. When you contact the office, be sure to tell the person answering the phone that you are a constituent. Legislative offices get hundreds of phone calls a day. As a constituent, you should receive priority attention.
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Make contact with the right person. Remember that telephone calls are often taken by a staff member, not the legislator. Ask to speak or leave a message with the aide who handles the issue on which you wish to comment.
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Leave a brief message. After identifying yourself, tell the aide you would like to leave a brief message for the legislator, such as: “Please tell Senator/Representative (Name) that I support/oppose Senate.Bill. _____/House.Bill. _____.”
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State your reasons concisely. Be prepared to explain your support or opposition to the bill in one or two sentences.
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Learn your legislator’s stance. Ask for your Senator’s or Representative’s position on the bill. You may also request a written response to your telephone call.
(Texas Watch, 2014)
Sample phone script
Hi. My name is _____ and I live at/in _____. I am a constituent of Senator/Representative ______.Is there someone in your office I can talk to about access to healthcare? I am calling today to ask for the Senator/Representative’s support for bill _____ . This bill will help protect his/her constituents expanding healthcare to Texans.
(Texas Watch, 2014)
Write to a legislator:
Crafting Effective Letters to Legislators
Below is a sample outline of a legislative letter to be personalized:
Dear Representative/Senator _____, My name is _____ I am a nurse practitioner, I live at/in _____, and I am a constituent of your district. I am writing to ask you to please support _____ . This bill will help expand healthcare to our fellow Texans.
Sincerely,
Legislative visits:
It is important to visit your local legislators within their local office if possible. You can establish a relationship with them and be recognized if you contact them in the capital. David Williams from TNP has extensive experience with APRN legislative visits and will attempt to accompany and guide HANP members interested in visiting legislators in Houston or Austin, david@texasnp.org.
Documents for distribution to legislators
APRNs Recognized as PCPs by MCOs'
TNP PAC fund- TNP members donate
TNP advocacy fund- Non-TNP members donate
