Tips

  • Use business letterhead
  • Address lobbying correspondence to the author of the bill with copies to members of the committee hearing the bill and to your local legislator
  • Make sure your legislator knows this letter is from a constituent who lives and/or does business in the legislator’s district
  • Be clear what action you want the legislator to take
  • Be sure to send a copy of your letter to the legislator’s district office and the Governor. Also send a copy to the
  • California Chamber so our legislative advocates can include information on your support or opposition in their committee testimony.
  • Be sure your address is on the letter
  • Act promptly before a vote has already been taken
  • If the legislator does what you ask, send a thank you note
  • Keep your letter short; a one-page succinct letter will have more impact than a longer one.
  • If you know the date of the next hearing, include it to ensure your letter is read in time to have an impact.
  • Get to the point of your letter quickly. State the bill number early in the first paragraph. Focus on one topic throughout
  • Provide concrete, credible information on the impact of proposed legislation-the more personalized, the more impact it will have
  • Use the member’s title (Assemblywoman, Senator)
  • Tell the legislator who you are (I am a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner who works at…and am a member of the National
  • Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners)