Tips for Effective Legislative Testimony

• Show up to the committee hearing on time and be prepared to stay until the end.Bills are not always taken up in the order they are listed on the agenda.
• Register to testify as soon as you arrive at the hearing.All House and most Senate committees have electronic registration on iPads in the hallways outside the hearing rooms.
• Be aware of, and respect, time limits.Most committees limit testimony, not including questions from the members, to 2 or 3 minutes.
• Prepare your remarks in writing, but do not read your testimony.
• Always start your testimony with “Mr. Chairman/Madame Chair and members, my name is _________________ and I’m here to support/oppose S.B./H.B. ####.”
• Tie your testimony to your personal circumstances.Speak about your company’s experiences.
• Assume the committee members are not familiar with your industry; avoid jargon.
• Attend, or view online recordings of, prior hearings to see how the hearing process works for that particular committee.
• Remember your mission and try not to get sidetracked by other witness’ testimony.
• You may respond to questions posed by committee members to other witnesses, especially if the witness was unable to respond, or gave inaccurate information.Try not to come across as adversarial.
• Tell the committee members specifically what you want (e.g. vote “yes” or “no” on a bill; amend the bill to address “X”).
• Provide visual aids if possible.Bring at least 20 copies of any written materials.No posters.
• Witnesses do not pose questions to committee members or to other witnesses.
• It is okay to respond to a question by saying “I don’t know, but I will get back to you.”