TO: [SEN/REP EMAIL]
FROM: [YOUR EMAIL]
SUBJECT: Please Urge Joint Committee on Public Health to Report Out S.1471/H.2338 ASAP to Ensure Universal Screening of cCMV, which impacts thousands of infants each year
[Senator/Representative Last Name,]

I hope you’re doing well. My name is ____, and I am emailing you on behalf of the Massachusetts cCMV Coalition. As your constituent, I am respectfully requesting you to reach out to the Chairs of the Joint Committee on Public Health (JPH) and urge them to swiftly report out S.1471/H.2338, An Act relative to newborn screenings for cytomegalovirus, filed by Senator Joan Lovely and Rep. Kay Khan.

This bill would require education on and screening for congenital cytomegalovirus, or cCMV, throughout Massachusetts. cCMV is one of the most common congenital diseases in infants in the United States and the leading viral cause of birth defects and developmental disabilities including hearing loss, mental and physical disabilities, vision loss, cerebral palsy, and even death. The virus frequently results in hearing loss and has long-term health implications for 40-60% of infants who are born with symptoms. While Massachusetts screens for 66 congenital conditions, including many that are far less common than cCMV, both screening for and public awareness of cCMV are sorely lacking. cCMV can be prevented and treated; however, 91% of women do not know about the disease or prevention during pregnancy.

S.1471/H.2338 would change this by mandating universal cCMV screening for all newborns to allow for timely diagnosis and interventions, requiring prenatal education on cCMV and prevention to reduce the number of pregnant patients that contract the virus and pass it along to their child, and mandating reporting of cCMV incidence to the Department of Public Health to provide better data on the incidence of the disease.

It is vital that we give our children the best chance possible to lead safe and healthy lives. (Here, feel free to discuss why this issue is important to you personally and the impact cCMV has had on your life or the life of a loved one.) Please see our attached one-page fact sheet for more information.

Therefore, I respectfully urge you to reach out ASAP to the Chairs of the Joint Committee on Public Health (Senator Jo Comerford and Representative Marjorie Decker) and urge them to report out S.1471/H.2338 favorably before the Joint Rule 10 deadline.

Thank you for your consideration,
[Your Name]

Call your State Senator in the Massachusetts legislature (listed on http://www.wheredoivotema.com as “State Senator” or “State Representative”). It is also fine to speak with an aide. Ask to speak to an aide who is dealing with bills related to health care or maternal/infant care.

What to say:
⦁ I am calling on behalf of the Massachusetts cCMV Coalition. As your constituent, I am asking you to sign onto a piece of legislation that is important to our community.
⦁ Please co-sponsor legislation filed by Senator Joan Lovely that would require education on and screening for congenital cytomegalovirus, or cCMV, throughout Massachusetts. cCMV is one of the most common congenital diseases in infants. The virus frequently results in hearing loss and has long-term health implications for 40-60% of infants who are born with symptoms, and in some cases it is fatal. According to a recent survey of 34 Massachusetts birth hospitals, only 16 respondents could confirm that there is a specific approach to congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) screening within three weeks of age. This suggests that less than half of Massachusetts birth hospitals are consistently screening for cCMV infection. It is vital that we give our children the best chance possible to lead safe and healthy lives.
⦁ Feel free to talk about why this issue is important to you personally!

Thank them for their time. If they have any questions, and you are unsure of the answer, simply say you do not know but will call them back. Please contact our government affairs consultant Kate Worrall at ksaville@charlesgroupconsulting.com to help you get the answer.

(NOTE: You can also leave a voicemail following this same script if the legislator or aide does not pick up. Due to the pandemic, most state house phones are not being answered, as many legislators are out of their formal offices. However, if you leave a voicemail, someone in the office should forward your message along to be checked by an aide or legislator. Please follow up with an email using the template above if your call is not returned within 5 business days.)

Call your State Representative in the Massachusetts legislature (listed on as http://www.wheredoivotema.com as “State Representative”). It is also fine to speak with an aide. Ask to speak to an aide who is dealing with bills related to health care.

What to say:
⦁ I am calling on behalf of the Massachusetts cCMV Coalition. As your constituent, I am asking you to sign onto a piece of legislation that is important to our community.
⦁ Please co-sponsor legislation filed by Representative Kay Khan that would require education on and screening for congenital cytomegalovirus, or cCMV, throughout Massachusetts. cCMV is one of the most common congenital diseases in infants. The virus frequently results in hearing loss and has long-term health implications for 40-60% of infants who are born with symptoms, and in some cases it is fatal. According to a recent survey of 34 Massachusetts birth hospitals, only 16 respondents could confirm that there is a specific approach to congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) screening within three weeks of age. This suggests that less than half of Massachusetts birth hospitals are consistently screening for cCMV infection. It is vital that we give our children the best chance possible to lead safe and healthy lives.
⦁ Feel free to talk about why this issue is important to you personally!

Thank them for their time. If they have any questions, and you are unsure of the answer, simply say you do not know but will call them back. Please contact our government affairs consultant Kate Worrall at ksaville@charlesgroupconsulting.com to help you get the answer.

(NOTE: You can also leave a voicemail following this same script if the legislator or aide does not pick up. Due to the pandemic, most state house phones are not being answered, as many legislators are out of their formal offices. However, if you leave a voicemail, someone in the office should forward your message along to be checked by an aide or legislator. Please follow up with an email using the template above if your call is not returned within 5 business days.)