Remote Public Participation in Committee Proceedings

5/4/2021

Introduction
Online Request to Speak
Online Bill Comment
Table: Online Public Participation
Additional Resources

Contact

Pam Greenberg

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.

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 below 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	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
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 - On-line Testimony Registration Forms for committees are available via the Bulletin.	Information is available under the Public Hearings tab.	Not found	Information on how to testify in person
Delaware	House: Yes – by individual committees	House: 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, 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
Hawaii	Yes – login/registration required to use	Testimony and Login Help	2021 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	Not found	Senate: Submit written testimony by email House: Submit written testimony by email	Senate: Remote Legislative Hearing Process	Senate: Guidelines for Testifying in-person
Indiana	Yes – Appearance Form for in-person testimony.	Individuals are encouraged to fill out the appearance form online.	Not found	All public testimony will be done from a separate location within the Statehouse
Iowa	Yes – for bills in subcommittee (example)	Attendance at subcommittee meetings by lobbyists and the public is via zoom only. See agendas for zoom details.	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.	Protocols for the 2021 Legislative Session
Kansas	Not found	Not found	Not found
Kentucky	Yes - Testimony Request Form	Not found	Not found	Ways to stay connected with General Assembly action
Louisiana	Not found	Not found	Not found
Maine	Yes - Testimony Submission Form	Public Participation in Upcoming Public Hearings	Not found
Maryland	Yes - Video Tutorials for MyMGA-Online Witness Signup and Testimony Upload	Not found	Not found
Massachusetts	Not found	Not found	Not found
Michigan	Not found	House Committee Protocols provide for in-person and remote testimony options	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 by emailing individual committee staff. Members of the public may submit written testimony by emailing their written testimony.	Not found	House: COVID-19 Legislation Comment Form - to submit a comment or question about prospective emergency COVID-19 legislation.
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		Public Hearings: How to share your views with senators	Written Testimony In Lieu of In-Person Testimony for Public Hearings during the 2021 Session	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 - P ublic Guidance for Remote Committee Meetings	House - Public Guidance for Remote Committee Meetings Senate - P ublic Guidance for Remote Committee Meetings	House and Senate forms allow the public to indicate support or opposition to a bill
New Jersey	Yes – Registration form 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 testimony by email is provided for individual committees	Not found
New York	Yes – Senate: 2021 Joint Legislative Budget Hearing Witness Request	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 certain committees	Not found	Not found
North Dakota	Yes – forms for individual committee hearings	How to: Written and Oral Testimony Submission and Video	Not found
Ohio	House – Witness information form	Not found	Not found
Oklahoma	Not found	Not found	Not found
Oregon	Yes – Testimony Submission Form	Yes - Oregonians will be able to testify at every public hearing remotely	Not found	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.	Not found	Not found
South Carolina	Not found	Not found	Not found
South Dakota	Not found	How to Participate Remotely and Information on how to submit written testimony by email available for some commissions or committees (example)	Not found
Tennessee	Not found	Not found	Not found
Texas	Not found	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	Not found	Information for Witnesses Committee agendas provide email addresses for witnesses to submit handouts (example)	Not found
Virginia	House: Yes – Meeting Schedule Signup Senate: Yes - Committee Signup - Public Comment	House: Speak website House: Viewing House Video	House: Policy and Guidelines for Citizen Participation in Remote Meetings	House: Public comment form to provide feedback about electronic meetings.
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	Not found
West Virginia	Not found	Not found	Not found
Wisconsin	Not found	Not found	Not found
Wyoming	The public can register for a Zoom to testify in committee by clicking the “testify” button provided on the legislature’s calendar page.	Protocol for attending a virtual committee meeting	Not found	Online Hotline Comment form for opinions on bills
Guam	Not found	Providing Live Testimony During Virtual Public Hearings	Not found
Virgin Islands	Yes - QR form on the website opens a "Virtual Testifier Sing Up Form"

*Some legislatures make available email addresses of committee chairs or committee staff, and some have created email addresses specific to individual committees. Other legislatures provide opportunities for in-person testimony and participation.

Did we miss information for your state? Please contact Pam Greenberg with details.