There are three ways to testify remotely on a bill during the legislative session through the Washington State Legislature webpage:
Sign in (pro or con) to have your position noted for the record
Direcciones para marcar su posición de un proyecto de ley por línea
Noting your position for the record is a quick way to show your support or opposition.
- You must sign in at least 1 hour before the hearing begins.
- Choose your position (PRO to support, CON to oppose), input your contact information, and submit.
Submit written testimony
If you cannot attend the hearing or prefer to share your story through writing, submitting written testimony is a good option.
- Submit written comments before the hearing or up to 24 hours after it starts.
- Type or copy-paste your comments into the online form.
- There is a maximum of 5000 characters (about 2 pages).
- Your comments will be made available to legislators and will be included in the record for the bill.
Testify live during a hearing
Testifying during a hearing is a powerful way to share your story!
- You can sign up to testify up to 1 hour before the hearing begins.
- Bill hearings will be broadcast live on TVW.org.
- If you sign up to testify live, you will be sent a link to join the hearing via Zoom.
- The Committee Chairperson may limit public testimony to as little as 1 minute per person. We suggest preparing a 3 minute and 1 minute version of your testimony.
- Be prepared to wait through other bill hearings and be ready at any point during the hearing.
- Signing up does not always guarantee you’ll be able to testify. Even if you register, sometimes there isn’t enough time for everyone to speak.
If you require an accommodation to be able to testify, please refer to the Legislature’s Americans with Disabilities Act Information page. And as always, contact us for help with any step in this process!