How to testify before the Hawaii legislature

The mechanics of testifying are in the general guide. This page covers what is specific to Hawaii.

How Hawaii does it

Hawaii runs all testimony, written and oral, through one online system rather than email or paper submission at the door. Create a free account at capitol.hawaii.gov, or sign into an existing one, then use the "Participate" menu to reach "Submit Testimony." The same form asks whether you also want to testify live, either in person at the State Capitol or remotely by Zoom. Anyone testifying remotely should log in about 15 to 20 minutes before the hearing starts, since committee staff manage speaking order from a waiting room. A submitted written testimony does not obligate you to also speak. Many residents submit written comments only.

Deadlines and numbers

Testimony should be submitted at least 24 hours before the scheduled hearing. In the Senate, this 24-hour window is a hard cutoff for remote testimony requests. In the House, it is strongly encouraged but not always strictly enforced, and late testimony is left to the chair's discretion. Oral testimony is commonly capped at around 2 minutes per speaker, sometimes 1 minute, and the chair can shorten this further. Because hearing schedules can post with only a few days' notice, submit as soon as a hearing notice appears rather than waiting.

Where to go

Start at capitol.hawaii.gov and create an account through the registration page if this is your first submission. The instructions document for testifying, covering submission and remote video procedures, is at capitol.hawaii.gov/docs/testimonyinstructions.pdf. For help, contact the Legislature's Public Access Room at (808) 587-0478 or [email protected].