How to submit testimony to the Hawai’i legislature

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CREATE AN ACCOUNT (one time thing)

  1. First you have to make an account.  Go to http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/login/register.aspx
  2. Fill in the form, check the box agreeing to terms and click Create User
  3. You will see a message that they have sent you an email to confirm your account. It might be entitled: “Please Confirm Subscription to Receive Hearing Notices” and it will be from mailinglist@capitol.hawaii.gov.
  4. Follow the instructions (click on the confirmation link)
  5. After you click the link you’ll see a page saying, “User has been successfully confirmed. “
  6. You are logged in and ready to submit testimony

SUBMIT TESTIMONY

  1. Sign in at http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/.  Look for “Sign In” in the upper right corner of the page.
  2. Go to the measure status.  Most of the time you will know the link since these are posted in emails, on facebook and on posts urging you to submit testimony.  If not, then you type in the bill name in the box marked Bill Status/Measure Status. Most of the time the bill number will be something like SB123 or HB123.  Notice there is no space between the letters and numbers.  After you click “Go” you will be taken to the measure’s page.
  3. Click Submit Testimony
  4. You will see a form.  Be sure you either oppose or support it (it defaults to just comment)  You can either upload prepared testimony or type it into the box provided.
  5. It is not necessary to write a lot.  Simply supporting or opposing the bill is enough if other people are making your points.  Add maybe a sentence unless you want to elaborate.  The important thing is to get your support or opposition on the record.
  6. Click Next
  7. Very important!  You are not done!  On the next page, you need to check the box saying that you understand your testimony will become part of the public record.  Go ahead and click Submit after checking the box.
  8. You should get an email verifying your testimony was submitted.  If you don’t get the email, you might have forgotten the last step and should try again.