This year, we are asking DV advocates from around the state to schedule meetings with their local Assembly Members and Senators in their home districts anytime between April 14th and April 25th. During these two weeks, there is no legislative session scheduled in Albany, so legislators should be available to meet with you – their constituents -- in their home districts. Sample emails and telephone scripts are attached to make it easier for you to schedule your meetings.

For those of you who are interested in joining us in Albany for NYSCADV’s Legislative Day of Action, we will be convening on Tuesday, April 29th. The day will begin at 10:00am with a morning program to get everyone energized and thinking ADVOCACY, followed by meetings with your state legislators. Register here if you intend to join us in Albany on April 29th. No registration is needed if you will be meeting with your legislators in your local community, office or virtually.

As in year’s past, if you will be in Albany, we are asking you to schedule your own legislative meetings so you can decide how many meetings to schedule and whom to meet with. The enclosed document also includes sample emails and telephone scripts for you to request meetings with your legislator while in Albany on April 29th.

We welcome everyone’s participation – from those who have joined us in years past to new advocates who have never participated in advocacy events before! We will be creating a toolkit with sample emails, social media messaging and graphics, phone scripts, and talking points to make it easy for you to participate. And we highly encourage survivors, DV program staff, sexual assault program staff, crime victim program staff, legal services staff, agency board members, coalition and community partners, and community members to join in.  

Legislative Priorities

DV advocates are supporting the following legislation to enhance the ability of survivors to access assistance and enhance their safety, and to support DV advocates in their work:

1. A.2590 Hevesi/S1580 Persaud: Would add residential and non-residential DV programs, OVS-licensed crime victim service programs and DOH-licensed rape crisis programs, among others, to designated human services programs eligible for cost-of-living adjustments;  
2. A.6194 Hevesi/S.5998 Skoufis: Called Kyra’s Law, would require courts to conduct a prompt evidentiary hearing to review any findings or allegations of DV, child abuse, and child neglect before issuing orders of custody or visitation;  
3. A.3038A Rosenthal/S.1353A Cleare: Would permit DV survivors to dispute coerced debt; and,  
4. A.506 Paulin/S.2075 Gounardes: Would streamline New York’s contracting processes to reduce delays in contract execution and reimbursements to nonprofits that provide services to vulnerable populations.  

Social Media

USE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS TO ADVOCATE FOR DV SURVIVORS

On Tuesday, April 29, 2025, domestic violence advocates, survivors and allies will call on New York State lawmakers to support legislation that will keep children safe, increase economic security for survivors and advocates, and increase access to services. We have developed the following social media content to assist in your advocacy efforts.

Use the hashtags #StandUpForSurvivors, #SecureFamilies and #SafeChildren in your posts to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media sites. Be sure to @NYSCADV so we can uplift your posts.

Share social media posts directly from NYSCADV social media accounts and/or create your own from the samples below. 

Call and/or email your legislators to urge them to keep children safe and stand up for survivors and the DV programs that support them. (Click here to view 2025 Legislative Priorities)

Sample Posts 

Facebook/LinkedIn/Instagram

• New York State has the highest demand for domestic violence services in the country. On one day in New York, while more than 10,000 adult and child victims of domestic violence sought services, 1,700 survivors did not due to a lack of funding or resources. We have seen a 64% increase in unmet demand from the year before. NYS must stand up for survivors of domestic violence.
• New York’s judges fail to recognize and appropriately respond to DV and child abuse in child custody and visitation proceedings. This has led to several tragedies. In fact, 35 children have been killed by a parent during custody proceedings in New York since 2016. We must require courts to prioritize the safety of children in these cases. Pass Kyra’s Law, which would require the court to hold a prompt hearing when allegations of DV, child abuse or child neglect are made. If the Legislature fails to act, more children’s lives will be tragically harmed or lost.
• DV advocates are essential, frontline workers whose work requires specialized skills and training. It is a 24/7 job, requiring us to meet DV survivors where they are – at the police station, in court or the hospital – to provide critical, life-saving services. DV advocates have never received a cost-of-living adjustment on the contracts we have with New York State. We urge the NYS Legislature to support legislation to include DV advocates in all future COLAs.
• DV abusers often use their victims’ financial information to apply for credit cards, obtain loans, or open financial accounts. These actions can destroy a DV survivor’s credit rating, making it difficult for them to create financial independence. Legislation is needed to ensure survivors are not held liable for this coerced debt and creditors should be required to cease collection activities if they find the debt was coerced. We must end coerced debt! Pass A.3038/S.1353!
• Domestic violence programs in NYS are suffering under administrative burdens. We must streamline the way NYS contracts with domestic violence service providers. Pass A.506/S.2075 to reduce delays in contract execution with NYS non-profits. Non-profits must be reimbursed in timely manner so we can continue to serve vulnerable populations.

X(Twitter)/Bluesky/Threads

• New York State has the highest demand for domestic violence services in the country. We have seen a 64% increase in demand from the year before. NYS must stand up for survivors of domestic violence.
• New York’s judges fail to recognize and appropriately respond to DV and child abuse in child custody and visitation proceedings. 35 children have been killed by a parent during custody proceedings in New York since 2016. We must require courts to prioritize the safety of children! Pass Kyra’s Law!
• ATTENTION NYS! We have the greatest demand for DV services in the country! Advocates are doing the best they can but they deserve equal pay for equal work. Pass A.2590/S.1580 to include advocates in the COLA.
• Streamline NYS Contracting with non-profit organizations! Reduce the administrative burden. Pass A.506/S.2075 to reduce delays in contracting and reimbursement to non-profits.

Call Script

It only takes a couple of minutes to call your legislator and tell them to support the thousands of New Yorkers experiencing domestic violence every day. DV survivors require access to resources and services that can enhance their own safety, and the safety of their families, and rebuild their lives.  
 
To simplify the process for you, we have developed this sample script for use when calling legislative offices. We encourage you to tailor the script to highlight local information you feel your legislators should be aware of (e.g., impacts to your program, what you are seeing in the field, nuances specific to DV programs and the victim/survivors you work with, etc.).   

Call script: 

Hello, my name is (name) and I am a/an (advocate, program director, director, executive director, etc.) at (name of your organization).  

I am calling to urge (Senator/Assembly Member) to support legislation that will enhance the safety of domestic violence survivors, increase access to services, and support domestic violence advocates. 

We are asking the (Senator/Assembly Member) to support bills that will ensure DV advocates receive future COLAs on state contracts, enhance the safety of children during child custody proceedings, streamline contracting with non-profits and permit DV survivors to dispute coerced debt.  

Can I email (Senator/Assembly Member) information about these bills? (Ask for appropriate email.) Thank you! 

Follow-Up Materials to Send:

• Day of Action Priorities
• Memos of Support
• DV Services Funding Transformation & Stabilization Program
• DV Counts NY Summary
• DV Counts Flyer

Sample Email (to Send in Lieu of a Meeting with your Legislator)

Please take a few minutes on Tuesday, April 29, to email your legislators and ask them to support the thousands of New Yorkers experiencing domestic violence every day. DV survivors require access to resources and services that can enhance their own safety, and the safety of their families, and rebuild their lives.

Below you will find a sample email to send to legislators and a link to attachments you can include with that email. We encourage you to tailor the sample email to highlight any local information you feel your legislators should be aware of (e.g., impacts to your program, what you are seeing in the field, nuances specific to DV programs and the victim/survivors you work with, etc.)  

SAMPLE OUTREACH EMAIL

Subject: NYSCADV’s 2025 Legislative Day of Action  

Dear (Senator/Assembly Member),  

I am writing to you today as a/an (advocate, program director, executive director, etc.) at (your organization).  

Domestic violence victim advocates, survivors, allies, and community members from across the state are joining together today for the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence’s (NYSCADV) 2025 Day of Action. Our message to state legislators is clear: Thousands of New Yorkers experience domestic violence every day. They require access to resources and services that can help them enhance their own safety, and the safety of their families, and rebuild their lives. By investing in critical, life-sustaining services, legislators can ensure survivors have the support they need to heal and move forward.  

Unfortunately, New York State continues to have the highest demand for domestic violence services in the country. According to the National Network to End Domestic Violence’s national Domestic Violence Counts survey, on one day in New York in 2024, 10,000 adult and child victims of DV sought services – a 64% increase in demand from the year before. More troubling, on that same day, more than 1,700 victims did not receive the help they requested due to a lack of resources and staff.  

DV advocates are supporting the following legislation to enhance the ability of survivors to access assistance and enhance their safety, and to support DV advocates in their work:  

A.2590 Hevesi/S1580 Persaud: Would add residential and non-residential DV programs, OVS-licensed crime victim service programs and DOH-licensed rape crisis programs, among others, to designated human services programs eligible for cost-of-living adjustments;  

A.6194 Hevesi/S.5998 Skoufis: Called Kyra’s Law, would require courts to conduct a prompt evidentiary hearing to review any findings or allegations of DV, child abuse, and child neglect before issuing orders of custody or visitation;  

A.3038A Rosenthal/S.1353A Cleare: Would permit DV survivors to dispute coerced debt; and,  

A.506 Paulin/S.2075 Gounardes: Would streamline New York’s contracting processes to reduce delays in contract execution and reimbursements to nonprofits that provide services to vulnerable populations.  

If you would like more information, you can contact me or Joan Gerhardt, Director of Public Policy and Advocacy at NYSCADV, at jgerhardt@nyscadv.org.  

Sincerely,  

(name and title) 

Remember to attach these materials 

LEGISLATOR PACKAGE MATERIALS (Zip File Included Below)

• Day of Action Priorities One Pager 
• 5 Memos of Support 
• 2025 Legislative Priorities 
• DV Services Transformation and Stabilization Program One Pager 
• DV Counts Summary 
• DV Counts Flyer 

Additional Materials