You have elected legislators into office to represent your views on important issues. To help them do their job, citizens must share their opinions and thoughts with their representatives. Hearing from a handful of concerned citizens will cause a legislator to pay attention to a particular issue and encourage him or her to vote the right way.

There are a number of different ways to lobby your lawmakers, including attending a Texas Watch Lobby Day, calling, writing or emailing your legislators, scheduling a visit with your legislators at their office, and testifying at a committee hearing. In general, the more personal your lobbying contact is, the more effective it will be.

Remember, you do not have to be an expert on an issue to lobby. You simply have to provide the legislators with information about your opinions and experiences on an issue.

• Tips on calling your legislators
  Picking up the phone and calling your legislators is the easiest and quickest way to share your opinion.
• Tips on writing to your legislators
  The letter is the most popular choice of communication with a legislator’s office. Here are some suggestions that will help to improve the effectiveness of your letter.
• Tips on visiting your legislators
  If you would like to have a one-on-one conversation with your representative or their legislative staff on a specific legislative issue, consider setting an appointment to visit them in their capitol or district office.
• Tips on testifying at a committee hearing
  All proposed legislation is assigned to a House committee and a Senate committee for review. These committees hold public hearings, which may be the only time during the legislative process when public participation is solicited and when an individual can share personal experience and opinions with several legislators at the same time.

Helpful Links

• Don’t know who your state representative and senator are? Click here to find out who represents you. All you have to do is type in your address and press “Submit.”
• Want to see what your legislators have been up to? The Texas Legislature Online has information on practically everything that happens at the Capitol.
• Read our Insurance or Patient Safety Activist Training Kits, which contain more information on these issues and how you can get involved.
• Are you interested in contacting your legislators? Please let us know.