New York State Residents: We Need Your Help to Pass Anna’s Law!!

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New York residents in Congressional District 27 — We need your help!

I’ve been in Washington, DC for the last two days, lobbying for the Anna Westin Act with the Eating Disorders Coalition and participating in the #MarchAgainstED with countless eating disorder survivors, families, and advocates. I have a lot to say about my experience, and I will post more about it in the coming days.

Right now, however, there is task we need your help with.

The New York lobby team had many meetings yesterday, and we received a lot of positive feedback — except in one case. Representative Chris Collins (R-27) is on the borderline. According to his senior legislative assistant, Rep. Collins is for mental health reform overall, but he cannot guarantee his support of the Anna Westin Act. This bill is the key piece of legislation that will make residential treatment accessible for eating disorder sufferers, will provide training for health professionals and others, and will study the importance of Truth in Advertising.

Rep. Collins will support the bill on one condition: his constituents have to want it. As of now, it seems to the Representative that no one is interested, because no one has called or written to his office asking him to support Anna’s Law.

This is understandable — I didn’t know until I began lobbying how important it is to call or write to your congressional leaders. When you call, you speak to a legislative assistant (not to the congress person), who documents every call and every ask. These are then relayed to the congress person.

So — if we are going to get Rep. Collins on board, we need to let him know that we want the Anna Westin Act to pass and to be included on the mental health reform bill!

Chris Collins represents:

• All of Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming, and Livingston counties;
• Parts of Erie, Monroe, Niagara, and Ontario counties;
• Most of the eastern and southern suburbs of Buffalo;
• And most of the southern suburbs of Rochester, as well rural areas to the east.

You can see a map here to find out whether this is your district.

How to contact Rep. Chris Collins

PLEASE! If you live in this district, call Rep. Collins office to let him know you want eating disorder reform! Tell him you want the Anna Westin Act to pass. That’s all you have to say! No long conversation, no debates, no explanations — just let the assistant know.

You can reach him at (202) 225-5265.

Or, you can call his Geneseo, NY office at .

…or his Lancaster, NY office at (716) 634-2324.

You can also email his office here.

Thank you New Yorkers!! LET’S GET THIS DONE!!