WHAT YOU CAN DO TO ADVOCATE

The NH General Court meets annually from January to June, and you can participate in the legislative process in a number of ways. One is to offer testimony on proposed legislation, either in person at the State House or Legislative Office Building or in written comments addressed to the committee that’s hearing the bill.

Public hearings are held on every single bill or resolution introduced in NH. There are more than 1,000 in a typical year. So there are many opportunities for you to offer testimony, whether you’re a board member or a parent, a neighbor or a counselor.

Legislators see lobbyists and advocates regularly, so they are often more attentive to the testimony of members of the public. Also, while data and numbers are important for policymakers, hearing stories from real people is often more compelling. Personal stories and experiences can make a pivotal difference in how an issue is voted on. Here are some basic guidelines for giving public testimony:

1. Be prepared. Read the legislation before the hearing. The text is on the general court website.

2. Be brief. At many hearings, speakers are limited to 3 – 5 minutes. Don’t go on longer than your allotted time or the message you want to deliver will lose its impact.

3. Talk about what you know. Provide real-life examples that relate to the subject at hand, and be clear about why the proposed bill should be passed or rejected.

4. Offer more. If you are asked questions by committee members that you aren’t prepared to answer, offer to provide additional information after the hearing.

Sending letters or emails to your local representatives and Senators with comments/questions about bills, rules, and the state budget is another effective way to engage with policymakers. Many legislators will highlight in their own testimony or floor speech the number of calls or emails they have received, pro and con, on a bill.

Beyond the State House is an administrative rulemaking process, the continuation of the legislative process. Here State agencies develop, propose, and hold public hearings on rules that implement the laws. This is another opportunity to offer testimony, both at the State agency and the Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules (JLCAR) levels. A weekly rulemaking register is published on the general court website. There you can find notices of rules and their public hearing dates.

Finally, Governor and Council — a 5-member body unique to NH known as G&C — meets every two weeks and must vote to approve all State contracts over $10,000, as well as nominations from the Governor for agency, board, and judicial positions. The lengthy agendas for G&C are posted on the Secretary of State’s website on the Friday before every Wednesday meeting of this body. While there is little opportunity to offer public comment at the G&C meetings, calls to Councilors prior to the meetings are sometimes needed to alert them to concerns or problems about a contract or other item.

Your voice really does matter.