Handbook·State government

How to testify before the Minnesota legislature

State page·Verified 2026-07-10

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

How Minnesota does it

Minnesota has no single online sign-up portal for testimony. Instead, contact the relevant committee administrator or legislative assistant directly to ask about the agenda for an upcoming bill hearing and to be placed on the testifier list. Staff recommend reaching out a day or two ahead, though same-day sign-up is sometimes possible. Both the House and Senate have allowed hybrid (in-person and remote) hearings in recent sessions, but this depends on the committee chair's decision and the hearing room's technology, so ask whether remote testimony is available for a given hearing. Written testimony is submitted by email, not through a web form: Senate committees generally want a PDF to the committee administrator by a posted deadline (often noon on the hearing day), while House committees typically want written testimony by 1:00 p.m. the day before the hearing, with your name, organization, contact information, and position on the bill.

Deadlines and numbers

  • Written testimony (Senate): PDF to committee administrator, typically by 12:00 p.m. on the deadline set for that hearing.
  • Written testimony (House): email to committee administrator by 1:00 p.m. the day before the hearing.
  • Spoken testimony: commonly around two minutes per person, but set by each committee chair.

Where to go