Instead of a Lobby Day in Albany, this year CDPAANYS and the New York State Association on Independent Living will be holding a virtual rally starting at 9:00 AM on Monday, February 8 to kick off Advocacy Week. 

We encourage you to schedule meetings with your local Assembly and Senate representatives during the Advocacy Week period of February 8-12. Please coordinate your meetings with others in your area and let your fiscal intermediary know your plans.

We’re excited for you to take part and show your support for the campaign to #JustPay4HomeCare and lift up disability priorities in the New York State budget!

Click here to access the Legislative Agenda and meeting materials.

Meeting Tips:

• Schedule your meeting as far ahead of time as possible. Legislators get busy during this time of year!

  [Sample phone script: “Hi, this is (NAME). I am a constituent of (LEGISLATOR NAME) and I would like to schedule a meeting to talk about ways you can help home care workers/personal assistants earn the wages they deserve. They saved our lives during the pandemic and kept us from going to nursing homes. Are you available the week of February 8-12?”]

• Send the one-pagers to the legislator and/or staff before the meeting.
• Plan in advance who will speak and what each person will say. Remember, your meeting will likely only be 15 minutes. Every second counts!
• If the legislator asks you a question and you don’t know the answer, don’t make something up. Tell them you will get back to them once you have an answer and contact CDPAANYS for more information.
• Thank them for their time, even if they aren’t “getting it” or don’t commit to supporting your ask.