Exercise Your Rights

ACTIVE ISSUES
To communicate with your officials, click on a link below and follow the instructions on the screen.

OPPOSE Legislation to Remove Sales Tax Exemption in Tennessee
The Tennessee General Assembly is currently considering legislation (SB4173/HB4129) that would remove a current sales tax exemption for the first $150 of health club dues. This is a move against healthy lifestyles!

SUPPORT the Repeal of the Health Club Dues Sales Tax in Missouri
Tell your legislators to support House Bill 1437 that would repeal the 4% sales tax on health club dues.

OPPOSE the Proposed Healthy Lifestyle Tax In Pennsylvania
Legislators are considering taxing your health club dues to raise revenue for the state as they take up the issue of school property tax reform. Voice your opposition to a tax on your healthy lifestyle.

SUPPORT the Repeal of the Health Club Dues Sales Tax in New Jersey
Voice your support for the repeal of the seven percent sales tax on your health club membership by sending Governor Corzine and your legislators an email on Assembly Bill 4456.

SUPPORT the Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Bill (Federal)
Support healthy lifestyles by writing to your lawmakers and asking for their support of legislation that would change current tax law to allow you to pay for exercise, physical fitness programs, certain exercise equipment, and children sports league fees with pre-tax dollars, saving them between 20-30%.

The PHIT Bill represents an important tangible benefit that the US government can provide its citizens to promote healthier lifestyles and reverse the rising costs of treating obesity-related chronic diseases.

SUPPORT the Workforce Health Improvement (WHIP) Act (Federal)
Under current law, employers and employees may be discouraged from offering or using a health benefit of membership to a health club. That's because while employees are not taxed for the benefit of using an in-house workout facility, they are forced to report the benefit of a membership to an off-site fitness facility as additional income. This forces employers to deal with more IRS paperwork and increases employees' taxes for using their benefits.

The goal of the Workforce Health Improvement (WHIP) Act is to create a benefits system that offers the same benefit to employees who go to a fitness club as to those that work out at their office gym.


Don't delay, take action today! Additional Issues

QUICK TIPS ON EFFECTIVE ADVOCACY EMAIL WRITING

Keep it professional: Just because it's an email doesn't mean you should be casual. Email is preferred over letters, especially for Congress because of mail delays, but it's not the same as sending a quick note to a friend about weekend plans.

Use proper capitalization. You would never send a letter to a business associate signed: joey treadmill. Joseph P. Treadmill Jr. is more like it.

Also, sparingly use bold, underlines, italics, ALL CAPS, and exclamation points!!! You can show you really care about an issue without using every font option available.

Get to the point: Don't make them read to the third paragraph to find out what you're really writing about. A great way to start: As a concerned constituent and fitness enthusiast, I ask for your support of (or opposition to) Bill #/Bill Name.

Make it personal: After stating the issue and your position, talk about your connection to the issue. How has regular exercise at your health club impacted your life? What would this bill mean to you?

You don't need to tell your life story, but illustrate how the bill affects real people in the lawmakers' community.

Back up your argument: Use the talking points provided to help back up your argument, but don't forget that your personal touch helps drive home the key points.

Use spell check and proper grammar: Just like you wouldn't send a sloppy and error-filled letter to a business associate, you should never do the same with elected officials. Take a minute to run spell check and proofread your email before hitting the send button.