How to Submit Written Testimony to the Illinois General Assembly

How state committee hearings work

Before a bill reaches the floor of the Illinois House or Senate, it goes through a subject-matter committee. The committee holds a hearing, takes testimony, and votes on whether to advance the bill. This is where most bills die, and it is where your input matters most.

Illinois has a system called **witness slips** that lets anyone register a position on a bill in committee. You do not have to attend the hearing. You do not have to write a long letter. You fill out a form online and your position is counted.

How to file a witness slip

Go to my.ilga.gov and create an account. Search for the bill number. Click "Create Witness Slip" on the bill's page. Fill in:

• Your name and address
• Whether you are a **proponent** (support), **opponent** (oppose), or registering **no position**
• Whether you want to appear in person, submit written testimony, or just be counted as a record of appearance

If you just want your position counted, select "Record of Appearance Only." This takes about two minutes and it matters. Committee chairs look at slip counts before hearings.

If you want to submit written testimony

You can upload written testimony as a PDF or paste it into the form. Keep it to one page. State who you are, what bill you are addressing, your position, and your reason. One specific, personal reason is better than five general ones.

Timing

Witness slips must be filed **before** the committee hearing. Hearings are scheduled on the General Assembly calendar. Most committees post their agendas 24 to 48 hours in advance. File your slip as soon as you see the bill scheduled.

Why this matters

Legislators track witness slip counts. A bill with 500 opponent slips and 12 proponent slips has a visibility problem. Slips do not guarantee an outcome, but they create a public record of where constituents stand, and that record follows the bill through every stage.