This document provides guidance on writing advocacy letters to legislators regarding issues related to brain injury services and funding in Missouri. It instructs the reader to identify their legislators and provide a concise summary of their personal story, the issues, and the legislative actions being advocated for or against. Key points include increasing funding for the Brain Injury Fund through a higher surcharge on criminal offenses to reduce waiting lists and expand services, as well as maintaining the state's motorcycle helmet law. The document provides an outline and template for writing the letters.

1. WRITING ADVOCACY
LETTERS
Brain Injury Support Group
March 19th, 2013
The Independent Living Center
Andrea Buening, IL Special Projects Coordinator

2. Do your Homework
• Who are you writing to?
• Representatives and Senators
• What are you writing for?
• What services are you advocating for?
• Are there bills and legislative activity you want your legislator to
support or oppose?

3. Who are your Senators?
• Senator Ron Richard
• 201 W Capitol Ave., Rm. 321
Jefferson City, Missouri 65101
(573) 751-2173
• LEGISLATIVE STAFF:
Pattie Parris
Dusty Schnieders
Heidi Kolkmeyer

4. Who are your Representatives?
• Bill Lant
• MO House of Representatives
201 West Capitol Avenue
Room 235BA
Jefferson City, MO 65101
Phone: 573-751-9801
Legislative Assistant: Elaine Meller
Email: Bill.Lant@house.mo.gov email at home, at
lantsfeed@netins.net

5. Who are your Representatives?
• Bill White
• MO House of Representatives
201 West Capitol Avenue
Room 407A
Jefferson City MO 65101
Phone: (573) 751-3791
FAX: (573) 522-0561
Legislative Assistant: Celeste Miller
Email: Bill.White@house.mo.gov

6. What is our message?
• Keep it short and to the point
• Give them your name and address
• Tell them briefly your story. Just say that you are a
survivor of brain injury.
• Why you are writing. (Support or Oppose)
• Refer to Bill name and number, committee assignment.
• How his action will impact you and others in the state

7. Continue your letter
• Close by requesting action you want them to take
• Express your appreciation and willingness to be contacted for
further information.
• Ask your friends and family to contact their legislators as well.

8. Form for letter
To Your Senator:
The Honorable (full name)
rest of their address
To Your Representative:
The Honorable (full name)
rest of their address

9. Continuing your letter
• Dear Senator or Representative _____:
Please Support: House Bill 623/723/727 – closes loopholes
of funding for the Brain Injury Fund
Why this is important? The Brain Injury Fund has a
projected deficit of $200,000 in FY 2014. This will cause the
waiting list for services to increase, causing adults with
brain injuries to wait longer for rehabilitation and support
services. The Brain Injury Fund is the primary source of
revenue for the DHSS Adult Brain Injury program and
generates about $750,000 each year for adults with brain
injury.

10. Continue to provide information:
• The Brain Injury Fund $2.00 surcharge is inadequate
Revenue for the Brain Injury Fund is generated from a
$2.00 surcharge on all criminal offenses. Unfortunately,
there are many loopholes such as municipalities are
exempt from the surcharge and judges can choose not to
enforce the Brain Injury Fund fee.

11. Continue to provide information
• Brain Injury Fund Surcharge Increase legislation
Legislation in 2012 included an increase in the surcharge
from $2.00 to $10.00 per offense. This would have provided
funding to restore rehabilitation and support services prior
to the 2010 budget cuts, transition individuals from the
waiting list to receive services, and initiate a Brain Injury
Waiver. This increase in the Brain Injury Fund surcharge
was removed from the final bill.

12. Continuing information
• An increase in the surcharge cannot be for a specific type
of bill, such as a DWI, due to the procedure to progress
the various types of violations. The increase was attached
to a DUI/DWI bill a few years ago and did not make it far
since the administration office had processing concerns.

13. Support HB 723/727
• Brain Injury Medicaid Waiver
An increase in the Brain Injury fund with NEW MONEY
GENERATED to be used as the match for the federal pull-
down is a long-range option for assisting survivors of brain
injury as they strive for a quality life with brain injury.
The Department of Health and Senior Services has
explored the viability of a TBI Waiver for several years, burt
there has not been State money available for the match
without a drastically limiting revenue available for current
services and individuals needing those services.

14. Request: Oppose HB 555/597/341 and SB 187
Maintain Missouri’s all-rider helmet law – Helmets save live
and Missouri tax dollars.
Healthcare costs are higher for injuries when the individual
is not wearing a helmet.
All states that have repealed all-r4ider helmet usage laws
have seen an increase in injuries and deaths.

15. Request Support
• HB 10 line 650.0262, $614,000 of general revenue for the
DHSS Adult Brain Injury Program
• The DHSS Adult Head Injury Program is the only state
agency providing funding for rehabilitation and support
services for adults who have sustained a traumatic brain
injury.
• Rehabilitation Services are vital for survivors of brain injury to
return to work, live independently within the community, and
improve their quality of life.

16. Waiting for Services
• As of Oct. 15, 2012, there are 198 survivors of brain injury
waiting an average of 952 days for rehabilitation and
support services – this is an increase of 277 days.
• In July 2010, individuals were waiting an average of 675
days for rehabilitation and support services.
• It has grown to 952 days which is more than 2.5 years!

17. DHSS Adult Brain Injury Program
• 2010 there was a 58% cut in revenue funding
• Services eliminated or drastically reduced due to
$614,000 budget cut include:
• Transitional home and community support
• Transportation
• Pre-vocational training
• Adjustment counseling
• Socialization Skills Training
• Behavior Assessment and Consultation

18. We understand there is no money
• There IS a way to generate funding to increase the
services provided by the Adult Brain Injury Program
without costing the state revenue.
• Please consider supporting the before mentioned
legislation.
• Thank you for your time and attention.

19. March 19, 2013
To the Honorable ____
Address
Dear ____
Identify who you are.
Tell them you are one of the people they represent.
Give them a way to contact you for more information.
Request their support and opposition on the items we reviewed.
Thank them and sign.