Tips for Oral Testimony

1. Address the Chairman/Chairwoman and the committee members.
   ”Madam Chairwoman [LAST NAME] and members of the Senate/House [NAME] Committee”

2. Thank the committee for the opportunity to speak.

3. Introduce yourself by first and last name and state the legislative district in which you reside.

4. State your position as “for” or “against” the proposed bill; identify the bill number.

5. Be concise. Your testimony should be no longer than 5 minutes. Plan your comments before speaking to a legislative committee. You may want to write your comments down and read them to the committee or use your typed testimony to keep you on track.

6. Share a personal story or anecdote to explain your position. This is often the most powerful part. Follow up with factual arguments and data to support your viewpoint.

7. Conclude by asking for specific action: “I urge you to vote in favor of…” or “against” [bill number]

8. Thank the committee for the opportunity to speak. “Your consideration of these matters and solutions is very much appreciated.”

Know when and where to provide oral testimony

1. Go to North Dakota’s legislative branch website: www.ndlegis.gov

2. Click on Session Information at the top of the page.

3. Under Bill Information, click on Bills and Resolutions

4. Click on the bill that you are following.

5. Click on the Hearings tab. This is where the date, time, and location of the hearing will be posted.

Consider creating an account with the Legislative Tracking System to receive important, time-sensitive alerts on the bills that you are following.