How to Provide Testimony in New Hampshire
The New Hampshire Legislative schedule can move fast, so it’s vital to stay informed, remain engaged with your legislators, and be prepared to provide testimony even before a bill is scheduled for a committee hearing. If you’re already written to your legislator about an issue, you can use that initial letter as a framework to begin drafting your testimony.
FAQs about the Testimony process Every week (Thursday at 5pm) the House & Senate release their schedule of public hearings for the week ahead. Committee chairs set the following week’s schedule at this point, and it’s released to the public with a short window for public input. We recommend preparing testimony for bills and issues important to you ahead of time so you can take action with little notice within this short window.
Public hearings occur on every bill unless rules are suspended with a ⅔ majority vote.
You can register your opinion without speaking publicly both in-person and online. To complete it in-person, you’ll have to show up during the appropriate committee hearing and fill out a blue index card. To submit it online, you’ll have to submit through the appropriate site and select the appropriate date and committee (stay tuned to our socials and our newsletter for details pertaining how to do this for each bill).
Public testimony is recorded as part of public record, and a vital part of our political process. Not only does it have the power to sway the opinions of those in power, it also has the power to inform the opinions of those in your community. It’s a powerful tool, even if it doesn’t result in the desired outcome for a specific bill, because it ensures that all voices are heard, and all perspectives are considered.
Review what bills are anticipated this legislative session at www.603equality.org/nh-policy and follow us on social media to stay informed.
What to Include in Your Testimony Gather your thoughts about the bill on paper in a succinct, compelling statement. Most folks who provide testimony are given 2-3 minutes. We recommend that you plan for 2 minutes, and if you feel moved to, maybe draft an optional paragraph that helps strengthen your points, but won’t negatively impact your remarks if cut. The committee members will let you know at the beginning of your time exactly how long you have.
Reference one of these messaging guides to help get you started. They may help you consider what the opposition will say / think, and help form a coherent argument around the facts of the issue that might most-resonate with the committee.
If the issue personally impacts you, it can be powerful to share your personal experience with the legislators.
Although it is not required, you can prepare written copies of your testimony to be given to committee members. Bring 21 copies for a House hearing and 10 copies for a Senate hearing.
The first sentence of your testimony should include a statement on where you stand on this bill in a clear and concise way (“I opposed this bill” or “I support this bill”).
Follow with a personal and compelling story, and 2-3 succinct points.
Conclude with the same statement that you opened with clearly stating your stance on the bill.
Preparing for the Day Identify the public hearing date. We’ll share bills that we’re tracking on our socials and on our website, but you can also find those details at the state’s bill tracking site.
If delivering testimony online, you must do so before the day of the hearing. To deliver testimony for House committees, please click here. To deliver testimony for Senate committees, please click here. For both the Senate and House committees, you’ll have to know the date of the hearing, the committee running the hearing, and the bill number to submit testimony online.
If delivering testimony in person, give yourself time to find parking in Concord, and enough time to walk to the appropriate building and sign in before the hearing begins. Note: the LOB is undergoing construction, and legislators have moved many meetings to another building, 1 Granite Place, also in Concord. This building is abbreviated as "GP" online.
Hearings can take anywhere from 45 minutes to a few hours, depending on how popular or divisive a topic is. If there is a lot of public interest in a topic, the committee chair may limit the time of testimony to only two minutes.
The bill hearing will open, and the committee chair will call folks up by name to provide testimony. There will be a microphone, and you’ll be asked to speak into the mic when delivering your testimony. If others who have spoken before you have made the same arguments that you plan to make, you may reference their testimony and acknowledge that you agree with them, but try to avoid repeating exactly what others have said. Focus on sharing perspectives unique to you and new information or details. Committee members may ask you questions when you complete your testimony. You can choose whether or not you want to take questions from the legislators.
Once you are done, you can hand any written copies you’ve brought with you to a committee member who will pass them along to the committee clerk.
After You Deliver Your TestimonyAfter you’ve submitted your testimony, continue tracking the bill status.
Follow bills that specifically affect the LGBTQIA+ community in New Hampshire at www.603equality.org/nh-policy
Turn your testimony into a Letter to the Editor.
Now that you have written down your opinion, consider sharing it: