Communicating with Legislators

Meeting with your Local Member of Congress

• What is the purpose and desired format of the meeting (i.e., state association meeting, facility visit, visit to the local congressional office)
  What issues are you presenting?
• Are other local associations working on this issue, and, if so, should you include them in the meeting to increase your collective voice?
• How many speech-language pathologists and audiologists do you want to include in the meeting? How will you identify these individuals?

• Contact the legislator's office, which can be found here (you can call the office or email the member of Congress)
• Ask to schedule a meeting with the member of Congress/  Review a sample appointment request letter. In the letter, explain the purpose of your visit, identify participants in the meeting, and suggest possible meeting dates. Be flexible! The more flexible you are about the date, the more likely it is that your meeting can be included on the legislator's schedule. If you don't hear back from a member of your legislator's staff, be persistent as well as polite. Sometimes requests get lost, so don't be afraid to follow-up by sending an e-mail or calling the office.
• Confirm your appointment with the legislator's office one to two weeks prior to the meeting. Legislators' schedules change quickly, so confirming the details of the meeting is always a good idea.

• Learn as much as you can about your legislator's background. For example, determine his or her political party, the committees on which he or she serves in the Kansas Legislature, and personal facts such as hometown, education, and profession. Such information can provide insights into the legislator's view of the world. Most of this information can be found using a simple web search.
• Use materials from KSHA to guide your conversation.
• Know your issue well and be familiar with how it affects your patients and the professions. Know all sides of the argument. Have the materials for your lawmakers in hand as you depart for your visits.
• If your colleagues are joining you at the meeting, be sure to:
  • Let them know all of the details of the day, time, and location. Discuss the issue(s) to be presented at the meeting ahead of time and decide who will take the lead in presenting the issue(s). This is particularly important if there are a lot of first-time advocacy participants attending the meeting. Determine who will compile, print, and carry the materials to be given to the legislator. If possible, bring a copy for the legislator.

• Start the meeting by introducing all of the participants. Discuss where you work and what you do. Do not assume that the member of Congress knows what an SLP or audiologist does day-to-day. Use this opportunity to educate your legislator.
• Share the materials you have compiled from KSHA. Walk the legislator through the key points of the KSHA agenda or the specific subject of the meeting.
• Concentrate on only one or two issues and be organized in the meeting. Use personal stories to underscore a point about the issue that brings the concern home to the lawmaker's district or state (e.g., how telepractice is used in your area). Use only part of your allotted time to present your issue. This will leave time for you to hear the lawmaker's thoughts on the subject or to answer any of his or her questions.
• Be careful not to antagonize or lecture the lawmaker; conversely, don't say only what you think the lawmaker wants to hear. Be straightforward, but courteous, in expressing your views and be receptive to the lawmaker's questions and comments. If the lawmaker doesn't volunteer his or her position on the issue, ask!
• Don't feel that you need to know the answer to every question. If you are asked a question that you can't answer, don't guess. Instead, say that you will look into the question and give the lawmaker an answer as soon as possible. KSHA will be happy to work with you on a response to the legislator.
• Never discuss or make a campaign contribution when meeting with a lawmaker about a legislative issue. In fact, don't mention political contributions at all.
• Be sure to politely ask your lawmaker to do something! Lawmakers meet many constituents, but they won't know how to help unless you clearly state what you want them to do. For example, you might say, "I hope you'll co-sponsor and support reimbursement of telepractice" or, "Please support adequate funding for education in our state." Make your "ask" clear and concise.
• If the opportunity presents itself, take a picture of the group with the legislator. Please share these with KSHA (ksha@ksha.org); such photos make a great addition to our newsletter and website to encourage other KSHA members to schedule meetings of their own!
• Finally, offer to be a resource to your legislator on any issues that may arise in the future.

• Send a thank you letter and re-emphasize key points you discussed during the meeting. Be sure to provide any additional information you may have promised and send a copy of any pictures taken with the legislator.
• Let KSHA staff know how the meeting went by e-mailing ksha@ksha.org. This information will be crucial to KSHAstaff in planning future lobbying efforts and will ensure that KSHA's message is consistent.
• Thank all of your colleagues who participated in the meeting. Share any pictures that were taken and ask for feedback on how to improve future meetings and how to continue to build the relationship with the legislator.

• Offering to host a site visit by your lawmaker to your office or department to better educate them about the audiology and speech-language pathology professions;
• Attending the lawmaker's local fundraisers or events;
• Continuing to contact your legislator on key KSHA priorities;
• Visiting your legislators on Legislative Day