Submitting Testimony to a Legislative Committee
Reading testimony submitted to a committee is one of the most effective ways for legislators to understand how a law or resolution will impact Kansans, particularly when those submitting have a unique perspective or specific knowledge. Testimony can support or oppose legislation. Testimony can also suggest changes to legislation.
Each committee has a web page you can find here. Each committee has published Conferee Rules or Conferee Information. These may be found in Committee Documents. These documents will provide instructions for submitting written testimony. The instructions will indicate the deadline and format of testimony submitted.
Suggestions for submitting your written testimony. Credit to the Massachusetts Platform for Legislative Engagements.
- Be Direct. State whether you support or oppose a bill. Be clear and specific about the policies you want to see. You don't have to know specific legal precedents or legislative language; just explain what you would like to happen and why.
- Be Original. Legislators receive a lot of form letters and repeated sentiments from organized groups of constituents. These communications are important and their volume can be meaningful to legislators. But, almost always, an individual and personalized letter will have a greater impact.
- Be Informative. Whether you are a longtime advocate or a first time testifier, whether you have a doctoral degree in the subject or lived experience regarding a policy, and no matter your age, race, creed, or background, your testimony is important. Explain why you are concerned about an issue and why you think one policy choice would be better than another. For example, your being a parent gives you special insight into education policy.
- Be Respectful. No matter how strongly and sincerely held your position is, there may be people of good intent who feel oppositely and expect and deserve to have their opinions considered by their legislators also. Respectful testimony will carry more weight with legislators, especially those who you may need to persuade to your side of an issue.
Your written testimony becomes a public document and will be posted on the website for the legislation. Do not provide information about personal matters that you do not want the world to know.
Send an email to your legislators to let them know you have provided testimony as a conferee and attach a copy of your testimony. Follow up to ask if they have had an opportunity to read your testimony and ask if they have questions. Ask your legislator his or her position on the legislation. If the legislation approved by the committee needs an amendment you can ask him or her to propose or support the amendment. At some point your legislator may be voting on the legislation and should know constituents have been involved.
