When you are wanting to participate in a public hearing or any other forum for citizen input, the process may be new or confusing to you. Here is a helpful guide with more information on ways to make the process easier. It may seem difficult, at times, to get through the maze and testify, but it is extremely important and can truly make a difference.
- Call the committee clerk ahead of time to learn the place, time and procedure for the hearing. For example, are public officials going to speak first? How much time is allotted for each speaker, etc.?
- Keep your testimony short -- most committees limit testimony to three to five minutes. (Your can send written testimony later which can go into greater detail.)
- Guidelines for your statement:
- Identify yourself and the organization you represent (if any);
- State your position regarding the issue of the hearing;
- If you are testifying about legislation, identify the bill by name and number;
- Summarize your recommendation first and then add your explanation;
- Sum up your position at the end;
- Thank the committee for the opportunity to speak.
- Double-space your written testimony and type on only one side of the paper for easy reading. Remember that text written all in capital letters is not easier to read, as many people learn by experience.
- Rehearse your testimony. Anticipate questions you might be asked and practice answering them.
- Wear comfortable but professional clothing. “Business casual” is usually appropriate and best.
- Arrive early, and sign up indicating that you wish to testify. Usually, media coverage is given to those who speak early at a hearing. Take enough copies of your prepared statement for the entire committee and the press. Be sure the clerk has a copy for the record.
- If your testimony is very technical, ask the committee clerk to hand out copies of your written testimony to the committee before you testify.
- If there is a microphone, your mouth should be about six inches from it. Move the mic, if necessary, to the right position for you. Do not ever forget how important it is to learn to use the mic correctly. If Committee members cannot hear you, you are ineffective, no matter how carefully your statement was prepared.
- Do not repeat points made by speakers ahead of you. If all of the points you wanted to make have been made, tell the committee you concur with the testimony given by the preceding speakers and urge them to take the appropriate action.
- Answer only those questions that you can answer correctly. Offer to find the answers to others and get back promptly to committee members with the information.
- If several people are speaking from the same organization, divide up the points to be made, with each speaker addressing different areas.
- Avoid arguing with members of the committee and with people giving opposing testimony.
- Keep a copy of your statement.
- If you have not prepared a statement, but think that you have interesting testimony (or if you discover, after listening to others, that there is something you urgently wish to contribute) ask to sign up to speak. Sometimes these "from-the-heart" statements can be the most convincing of all.
- If possible, follow up your testimony with a letter or written testimony addressing certain points that were raised at the hearing.
- Use your testimony in other ways: submit it as an op-ed article or letter to the editor to your local newspaper, send it to legislators or policy makers who are not on the committee but will have to vote on the issue, or send it to the editorial board of your paper urging them to write an editorial on the issue.
It may seem difficult, at times, to get through the maze and testify, but it is extremely important and can truly make a difference.
