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Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic posed many new challenges for state lawmakers this past year, not least among them: how to keep “the people's house” open to the public, as some state capitol buildings were closed and some legislative chambers met remotely. This page examines the approaches legislatures have used to integrate public participation in committee hearings.
Although all 50 states live-streamed legislative floor proceedings prior to the pandemic, and many also offered webcasts of committee meetings, in 2020 and 2021, many more legislative chambers began using those practices for on-demand viewing.
Legislatures also worked to find more ways to promote interactive citizen participation in committee proceedings, which in normal times are a primary way citizens can participate in the legislative process. Most legislatures provided email addresses for legislators, committee chairs or committee staff so that citizens could submit written comments or testimony by email. An increasing number began developing online forms for people to submit electronic testimony or to register to testify—sometimes still in person but allowing for more orderly and socially distanced waiting—other times live via video- or audio-conferenced meetings. Some states also added online mechanisms for the public to register an opinion on a bill.
Several states provided these kinds of online forms prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the details of which are provided below, followed by a 50-state table with links to examples of online forms or other features that allow the public to participate in the legislative process.
Many states in 2020 and 2021 adopted or introduced bills and resolutions related to legislative rules or procedures, including measures providing for remote proceedings. The examples provided on this page are not all-inclusive, in that the process might vary even within the same type of chamber, depending on the type of proceeding. For example, some states may distinguish between committee hearings and public hearings in their rules and may adopt slightly different rules or procedures for each.
Though not noted below, some legislatures make available email addresses of committee chairs or committee staff, and some have created email addresses specific to individual committees (e.g., Connecticut, Massachusetts, Nebraska). Other legislatures provide opportunities for in-person testimony and participation.
Please note that some links provided in the table below may be active only immediately prior to a committee hearing, but are provided below to note that the option is available. In addition, many of the online services and information linked below were created during 2021 sessions. Although the 2021 links were active at last update, remote participation opportunities may be limited in some states if meetings are being held in-person in 2022.
For related information, see NCSL’s Legislative Webcasts and Broadcasts and Bill Tracking and Subscription Services on Legislative Websites.
Online Request to Speak or Submit Testimony Forms
State legislatures are making it easier for citizens to testify at committee proceedings by creating online sign-in sheets. This online process also makes it easier for committee chairpersons to manage the committee process. Some states provide the opportunity to request to speak and also register an opinion on a bill or to submit written testimony electronically. Among the earliest states to offer online request to speak features prior to COVID-19 were Arizona, the Florida House and Senate, Hawaii, Illinois, the Texas House, North Carolina and Washington, some of which are described in more detail below or linked in the following table.
For more than a decade, the Arizona Legislature has had an online Request To Speak feature for those who want to testify in House and Senate committees. Prior to 2020, citizens wanting to speak would first register at kiosks located outside of committee rooms at the Capitol; now, they register online. Once registered, they submit their request to speak to a committee and about a particular bill. The system allows committee chairpersons to have electronic access to a list of names of those signed up to speak in favor of or against a particular bill. Individual comments from lobbyists and citizens are available to view on the website, and those in favor of or in opposition to bills are also listed.
The Hawaii Legislature’s Submit Online Testimony feature, which first came online in 2009, operates somewhat differently. It can be accessed from any location using the “Submit Testimony” icon on the home page of the legislature’s website or from bill information web pages. After clicking on the icon, citizens fill out a form to submit their written testimony on a bill electronically. The online form asks individuals whether they plan to be present at the hearing, and, if so, their names will appear on the list of those testifying. The system is limited to bills that are currently scheduled for a hearing and formally referred to a committee. The website cautions that all testimony received is posted on the legislature's website and is accessible to the public.
Online Bill Comment
Several legislatures use websites to gather constituent feedback on specific bills or special topics. States offering this feature prior to the pandemic include Alaska, Nevada, the New York Senate, Washington and Wyoming. Legislatures with bill comment features are listed in the table below.
Alaska’s Public Opinion Messaging System allows Alaskans to send a 50-word message to some or all legislators. The system matches information from voter registration lists, so citizens must enter their information exactly as it appears on their Voter Registration Card.
Nevada's online opinion poll allows citizens to submit comments about and vote for or against bills being considered. The website makes all the comments and votes on bills available on the website to view. Constituent names, addresses and other personal information are not made public, but are available to legislators so they can contact the constituent when desired. The website also has reporting features that show opinions by popularity (most votes received on a bill), by bill number, by zip code and by senate or assembly district.
The New York Senate allows the public to register and submit an 'Aye' or 'Nay' vote on legislation. Constituents also can use an online form to share views with Senators.
North Dakota's Send a Viewpoint (online since Jan. 2013), allows constituents to fill out a form with a viewpoint or suggested voting preference about a selected bill. Messages require an address so that constituent views are routed to the legislators who represent that legislative district.
The Washington Legislature's Comment on this Bill feature allows the public to select and enter a bill number, state a position, and submit comments. Citizens must have an account and submit a street address to identify their legislative district. Statistics for positions on bills and their comments are reported to legislators representing the districts identified.
The Wyoming Legislature has an Online Hotline that allows the public to leave a 140-character comment. Additional background is available here.
Table: Opportunities for Online Public Participation
The box allows you to conduct a full-text search, including a search for a state name.
Links to Opportunities for Public Participation in Remote Hearings*
State
|
Online Registration to Testify/Request to Speak Form
|
Information for the Public About How to Testify Remotely
|
Guidelines for Remote Hearings/Public Testimony
|
Other Opportunities for Remote Public Participation*
|
Alabama
|
Not found
|
Not found
|
Not found
|
|
Alaska
|
Not found
|
Public Testimony Opportunities
New Tips for Testifying Remotely
|
Not found
|
Public Opinion Messages
|
Arizona
|
Request to Speak (RTS) in Committee
RTS Manual
|
Remote testimony information (examples from committees)
|
Not found
|
|
Arkansas
|
Not found
|
Not found
|
Not found
|
Committee Procedures and Public Access for 2021 Regular Session (in-person)
|
California
|
Not found
|
Senate: Teleconferencing How-To
|
Not found
|
Assembly: Position letter portal, Quick Reference Sheet, Position Letter Portal
|
Colorado
|
Yes - Public Testimony Options (in-person, remote, written)
|
Instructional video on signing up to testify and how to testify in a committee hearing remotely.
|
Electronic Participation in Legislative Proceedings during a Declared Public Health Disaster Emergency
|
|
Connecticut
|
Yes - Calendar, Bulletins and committee agendas have information about how to submit testimony in writing before the start of the hearing.
|
A Guide for Reaching State Legislators and Testifying at Hearings
|
|
|
Delaware
|
House: Public comment can be made by registering via Zoom webinar links, which will be accessible through the legislative and public meeting calendars.
|
House: Example of 2021 House Committee Meetings-Instructions to Provide Public Comment Virtually & Submit Written Remarks
|
Not found
|
|
Florida
|
House: Yes, form for in-person testimony only; Appearance Request Form
Senate: Yes, form for in-person testimony only; Appearance Request Form
|
Not found
|
Not found
|
Senate: (in-person) Public Testimony Protocols for 2021 Interim Committee Weeks
|
Georgia
|
Not found
|
Not found
|
Not found
|
Redistricting Public Hearing FAQs, Submit Written Testimony to Senate and House Redistricting Committees
|
Hawaii
|
Yes – login/registration required to use
|
Testimony and Login
Help
|
2022 Remote Testimony Procedures
|
Additional information regarding Senate Testimony Policies and Procedures can also be found here
|
Idaho
|
Links to register to testify remotely are available on the committee agenda and on the committee webpage at the following links: Senate committees, House committees.
|
Remote Testimony
Meeting Protocols
|
Not found
|
In-person testimony information
|
Illinois
|
Yes, links to witness slips are available via the General Assembly Dashboard.
|
Remote Legislative Hearing Process
Senate: Submit written testimony by email
House: Submit written testimony by email
|
House: Remote Legislative Hearing Process
Senate: Remote Legislative Hearing Process
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Senate: Guidelines for Testifying in-person
|
Indiana
|
Yes – Appearance Form for in-person testimony.
|
|
Not found
|
All public testimony will be done in-person from a separate location within the Statehouse.
|
Iowa
|
Yes – for bills in subcommittee (example) and public hearings.
|
Attendance at subcommittee meetings and public hearings is via zoom or in-person. See agendas for zoom details.
|
Information is on the public hearings web page or on the subcommittee notice published at least the day before the subcommittee is scheduled. Members of the public may comment during the Zoom subcommittee or provide written comments on legislation via the General Assembly’s website.
|
|
Kansas
|
Not found
|
Not found
|
Not found
|
|
Kentucky
|
Yes - Testimony Request Form
|
Committees-Request to Testify
|
Not found
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Ways to stay connected with General Assembly action
|
Louisiana
|
Not found
|
Not found
|
Not found
|
|
Maine
|
Yes - Testimony Submission Form
|
Yes - Testimony Submission Form |
Not found
|
|
Maryland
|
Yes - Video Tutorials for MyMGA-Online Witness Signup and Testimony Upload
|
Yes - Video Tutorials for MyMGA-Online Witness Signup and Testimony Upload |
House Committee Guidelines
Senate Session Information and Protocols
|
|
Massachusetts
|
Not found
|
Not found
|
Not found
|
For some hearings, public written testimony may be submitted by emailing committee staff.
|
Michigan
|
Not found
|
Not found |
Not found
|
General Comment/
Question Form
|
Minnesota
|
Not found
|
House: Information about how to sign up to testify remotely is available for individual committees.
Senate: Members of the public may sign-up to testify or submit written testimony by emailing individual committee staff.
|
Not found
|
An Accessibility & Usability Comment Form is available to provide feedback on digital accessibility of meeting information.
|
Mississippi
|
Not found
|
Not found
|
Not found
|
|
Missouri
|
Senate: Witness Appearance Form (pdf)
Senate Witness Registration System
House: Submit Online Witness Testimony
|
House: Witness Testimony FAQ
|
Not found
|
|
Montana
|
Yes – Public Testimony – submit written testimony, state a position on a bill, upload testimony, request to speak via Zoom.
|
Have Your Say Montana
|
Not found
|
|
Nebraska
|
Not found
|
Not found
|
Not found
|
Public Hearings: How to share your views with senators
Submission of Online Comments
Tips for Testifying (in-person)
|
Nevada
|
Yes, scheduled committee meetings have a "Participate" icon that opens an online form to allow the public to register to attend a meeting, specify a position, request to testify, or request to submit a verbal public comment.
|
Help page in NELIS includes information about how to register to participate in committee meetings and other ways to participate.
|
Not found
|
Share Your Opinion on Legislative Bills – online form
|
New Hampshire
|
Yes - House remote sign-in sheet
Yes - Senate remote sign-in sheet
|
House - Public Guidance for Remote Committee Meetings
Senate - Public Guidance for Committee Meetings
|
House - Public Guidance for Remote Committee Meetings
Senate - Public Guidance for Committee Meetings
|
|
New Jersey
|
Registration form previously available for individual committees (request to testify or submit opinion on bills)
|
Information is provided for individual committees
|
Not found
|
|
New Mexico
|
Not found
|
Information for submitting public comment is available in PDF calendars for some committees.
|
Not found
|
|
New York
|
Yes – Senate: 2022 Joint Legislative Budget Hearing Witness Request
|
Assembly: Those wishing to testify in person may print a form to email or mail. Written testimony may be sent by email.
Yes – Senate: Notice to Prospective Witnesses
|
Not found
|
A Citizen's Guide to NYSenate.gov Submit an opinion on individual bills (example)
|
North Carolina
|
Yes – Request for comment portal for some committees (example)
|
Not found
|
Not found
|
|
North Dakota
|
Forms were available in 2021 for individual committee hearings
|
How to: Written and Oral Testimony Submission and Video
|
Not found
|
|
Ohio
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House – Witness information form example
|
Not found
|
Not found
|
|
Oklahoma
|
Not found
|
Not found
|
Not found
|
|
Oregon
|
Yes – Testimony Submission Form
|
How to Submit Written Testimony on a Bill (with video)
|
Not found
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Get Involved: How to Participate
|
Pennsylvania
|
Not found
|
Information on how to submit written testimony by email available for some commissions or committees (example)
|
Not found
|
|
Rhode Island
|
Yes - Members of the public can request to provide verbal testimony to the committee through an online form. Written testimony may be submitted by email. (2021)
|
Not found
|
Not found
|
|
South Carolina
|
For House Legislative Oversight Committee only: Online form to share comments, concerns or suggestions about agencies currently under study, or any other state agencies.
|
Providing Testimony to the House Legislative Oversight Committee |
Not found
|
|
South Dakota
|
Yes - by sending an email to the committee email address provided on the committee detail webpage.
|
How to Participate Remotely and information on how to submit written testimony by email available for some commissions or committees (example)
Microsoft Teams for Committee Testifiers
|
Not found
|
|
Tennessee
|
Not found
|
Not found
|
Not found
|
|
Texas
|
Some committees post requests for written information to be submitted by email due to the COVID-19 pandemic: House,
Joint committees
|
Not found
|
Not found
|
House Witness Registration (available only at kiosks at the Capitol)
|
Utah
|
Yes - Public Comment form. This link appears on a committee website when an agenda is posted and closes one hour before meeting is scheduled to begin.
|
How to Provide Public Comment Remotely
|
Not found
|
|
Vermont
|
Yes - for some public hearings (example)
|
Instructions on how to access and participate in hearings are sent after signing up for the hearing (see, e.g., committee press release)
|
Not found
|
|
Virginia
|
House: Yes – Meeting Schedule Signup
Senate: Not found
|
House: Speak website and Viewing House Video
|
House: Policy and Guidelines for Citizen Participation in Remote Meetings |
House: Public comment form to provide feedback about electronic meetings (example).
|
Washington
|
Yes – Online forms to register to testify and to submit written testimony or comments on a bill
|
Participating in Committee Hearings and Bill Comments Help
|
How to Testify in Committee
|
|
West Virginia
|
Not found
|
Not found
|
Not found
|
|
Wisconsin
|
Senate: Most standing committees use an electronic registration form. These are accessible via a kiosk outside the hearing room or on a personal phone using the QR code listed on the hearing notice.
|
Not found
|
Not found
|
|
Wyoming
|
The public can register to testify in committee by clicking the “testify” button provided on the legislature’s calendar page (online form example)
|
Protocol for attending a virtual committee meeting
|
Not found
|
Handout Submission Form may be emailed to legislators. Online Hotline Comment form for opinions on bills
|
District of Columbia Council |
Not found |
Individual committees provide details about how to provide live remote testimony, or testimony by email or voicemail. |
Not found. |
Guide to Testifying is geared toward in-person testimony. |
Guam
|
Not found
|
Providing Live Testimony During Virtual Public Hearings.
|
Not found
|
|
Puerto Rico
|
Not found
|
Not found |
Not found
|
Public comment form for citizens' ideas |
Virgin Islands |
Yes - QR form on the website opens a "Virtual Testifier Sign Up Form" |
|
|
|
*Many state legislatures make available phone numbers and email addresses of committee chairs or committee staff forthe public to submit comments or questions, and some have created email addresses specific to individual committees.
Did we miss information for your state? Please contact Pam Greenberg with details.
Additional NCSL Resources