Picking up the phone and calling your legislators may be the easiest and quickest way to share your opinion. Don’t hesitate to call. Remember that your legislator wants to represent the needs of his or her district. By conveying your interests to your legislator, he or she has a better understanding of how to serve the needs of their constituency. Calling your legislators is also the easiest way to schedule an appointment in their district office. If you’re nervous about making this phone call and would like some assistance in preparing, please contact us and we can help you.

During Your Call

• 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.
• 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.
• 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 S.B. _____/H.B. _____.”
• State your reasons concisely. Be prepared to explain your support or opposition to the bill in one or two sentences.
• Learn your representative’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.

Sample Phone “Scripts” for Making a Phone Call to Legislators

The following sample script can be used as a guide for calling your legislators about insurance reform.

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 insurance reform?

I am calling today to ask for the Senator/Representative’s support for . This bill will help protect his/her constituents in by leveling the playing field between Texans and insurance companies.

OR

Can I make an appointment to meet with the Representative/Senator or a staff member in person to discuss this issue further?
Thanks again, and I really appreciate your time and consideration.

The following sample script can be used as a guide for calling your legislators about patient safety and medical malpractice.

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 patient safety issues?

I am calling today to ask for the Senator/Representative’s support for . This bill will help protect his/her constituents in by holding negligent doctors accountable and keeping patients safe.

OR

Can I make an appointment to meet with the Representative/Senator or a staff member in person to discuss this issue further?

Thanks again, and I really appreciate your time and consideration.

Note: if you are leaving a message on an answering machine, make sure to clearly state your name and phone number or email address.