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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, and the 50-state table below, examines the approaches legislatures have used to integrate public participation.
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. Also, some links may be active only immediately prior to a committee hearing, but are provided below to note that the option is available. Lastly, some legislatures have not yet convened for 2021 sessions (see session calendar) and information may not yet be available.
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
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Online Registration to Testify/Request to Speak Form
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Information for the Public About How to Testify Remotely
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Guidelines for Remote Hearings/
Public Testimony
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Other Opportunities for Remote Public Participation
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Alabama
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Not found
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Not found
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Not found
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|
Alaska
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Not found
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How to Testify Telephonically
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Not found
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Public Opinion Messages
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Arizona
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Request to Speak (RTS) in Committee
RTS Manual
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Remote testimony information (examples from committees)
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Not found
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Arkansas
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Not found
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Not found
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Not found
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Committee Procedures and Public Access for 2021 Regular Session (in-person)
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California
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Not found
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Senate: Teleconferencing How-To
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Not found
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Assembly: Position letter portal
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Colorado
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Yes - Public Testimony Options (in-person, remote, written)
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Instructional video on signing up to testify and how to testify in a committee hearing remotely.
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Electronic Participation in Legislative Proceedings during a Declared Public Health Disaster Emergency
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Connecticut
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Not found
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Not found
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Not found
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Information on how to testify in person
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Delaware
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House: Yes – by individual committees
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House: House Committee Meetings-Instructions to Provide Public Comment Virtually & Submit Written Remarks
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Not found
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Florida
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House: Yes, form for in-person testimony only; Appearance Request Form
Senate: Yes, Yes, form for in-person testimony only; Appearance Request Form
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Not found
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Not found
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Senate: (in-person) Public Testimony Protocols for 2021 Interim Committee Weeks
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Georgia
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Not found
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Not found
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Not found
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Hawaii
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Yes – login/registration required to use
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Testimony and Login
Help
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2021 Remote Testimony Procedures
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Additional information regarding Senate Testimony Policies and Procedures can also be found here
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Idaho
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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.
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Remote Testimony
Meeting Protocols
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Not found
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In-person testimony information
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Illinois
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Not found
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Senate: Submit written testimony by email
House: Submit written testimony by email
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Not found
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Senate: Guidelines for Testifying in-person
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Indiana
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Yes – Appearance Form for in-person testimony.
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Individuals are encouraged to fill out the appearance form online.
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Not found
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All public testimony will be done from a separate location within the Statehouse
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Iowa
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Yes – for bills in subcommittee (example)
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Attendance at subcommittee meetings by lobbyists and the public is via zoom only. See agendas for zoom details.
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Information is on the subcommittee notice which will be 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.
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Protocols for the 2021 Legislative Session
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Kansas
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Not found
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Not found
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Not found
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Kentucky
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Yes - Testimony Request Form
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Not found
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Not found
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Ways to stay connected with General Assembly action
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Louisiana
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Not found
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Not found
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Not found
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Maine
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Yes - Testimony Submission Form
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Public Participation in Upcoming Public Hearings
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Not found
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Maryland
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Yes - Video Tutorials for MyMGA-Online Witness Signup and Testimony Upload
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Not found
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Not found
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Massachusetts
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Not found
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Not found
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Not found
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Michigan
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Not found
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House Committee Protocols provide for in-person and remote testimony options
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Not found
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General Comment/
Question Form
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Minnesota
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Not found
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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 by emailing individual committee staff. Members of the public may submit written testimony by emailing their written testimony.
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Not found
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House: COVID-19 Legislation Comment Form - to submit a comment or question about prospective emergency COVID-19 legislation.
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Mississippi
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Not found
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Not found
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Not found
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Missouri
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Senate: Witness Appearance Form (pdf)
Senate Witness Registration System
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Not found
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Not found
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Montana
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Yes – Public Testimony – submit written testimony, state a position on a bill, upload testimony, request to speak via Zoom.
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Have Your Say Montana
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Not found
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Nebraska
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Public Hearings: How to share your views with senators
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Written Testimony In Lieu of In-Person Testimony for Public Hearings during the 2021 Session
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Submission of Online Comments
Tips for Testifying (in-person)
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Nevada
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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.
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Help page in NELIS includes information about how to register to participate in committee meetings and other ways to participate.
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Not found
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Share Your Opinion on Legislative Bills – online form
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New Hampshire
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Not found
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Senate - How to sign in and testify on Zoom before the NH Senate
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Not found
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House – Calendar provides information on how to join (listen to) remote meetings.
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New Jersey
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Yes – Registration form for individual committees (request to testify or submit opinion on bills)
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Information is provided for individual committees
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Not found
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New Mexico
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Not found
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Information for submitting testimony by email is provided for individual committees
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Not found
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New York
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Yes – Senate: 2021 Joint Legislative Budget Hearing Witness Request
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Yes – Senate: Notice to Prospective Witnesses
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Not found
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A Citizen's Guide to NYSenate.gov Submit an opinion on individual bills (example)
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North Carolina
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Yes – Request for comment portal for certain committees
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Not found
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Not found
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North Dakota
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Yes – forms for individual committee hearings
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How to: Written and Oral Testimony Submission and Video
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Not found
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Ohio
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House – Witness information form
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Not found
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Not found
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Oklahoma
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Not found
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Not found
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Not found
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Oregon
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Yes – Testimony Submission Form
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Yes - Oregonians will be able to testify at every public hearing remotely
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Not found
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How to Participate
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Pennsylvania
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Not found
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Information on how to submit written testimony by email available for some commissions or committees (example)
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Not found
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Rhode Island
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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.
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Not found
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Not found
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South Carolina
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Not found
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Not found
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Not found
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South Dakota
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Not found
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How to Participate Remotely and Information on how to submit written testimony by email available for some commissions or committees (example)
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Not found
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Tennessee
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Not found
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Not found
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Not found
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Texas
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Not found
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Not found
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Not found
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House Witness Registration (available only at kiosks at the Capitol)
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Utah
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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.
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How to Provide Public Comment Remotely
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Not found
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Vermont
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Not found
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Information for Witnesses
Committee agendas provide email addresses for witnesses to submit handouts (example)
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Not found
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Virginia
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House: Yes – Signup to Speak or Submit Comments
Senate: Yes - Committee Signup - Public Comment
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House: Viewing House Video
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Not found
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House: Public comment form to provide feedback about electronic meetings.
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Washington
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Yes – Online forms to register to testify and to submit written testimony or comments on a bill
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Participating in Committee Hearings and Bill Comments Help
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Not found
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West Virginia
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Not found
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Not found
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Not found
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Wisconsin
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Not found
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Not found
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Not found
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Wyoming
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The public can register for a Zoom to testify in committee by clicking the “testify” button provided on the legislature’s calendar page.
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Protocol for attending a virtual committee meeting
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Not found
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Online Hotline Comment form for opinions on bills
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Guam
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Not found
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Providing Live Testimony During Virtual Public Hearings
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Not found
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Did we miss information for your state? Please contact Pam Greenberg with details.
Additional Resources