How to testify before the Missouri legislature
The mechanics of testifying are in the general guide. This page covers what is specific to Missouri.
How Missouri does it
Missouri's House and Senate each run their own witness system, both starting from a hearing notice posted online. That notice links to an electronic form where you pick one of three options: testify in person, submit written testimony only, or request to testify remotely. The House uses witness.house.mo.gov. The Senate runs a parallel Senate Witness System with an online portal and a downloadable paper Witness Appearance Form. Remote testimony is not automatic in either chamber: a committee chair must authorize it for a specific hearing (in the House, with the Speaker's approval), and you must request to testify remotely before the hearing starts. Written testimony, by contrast, is accepted for any bill with a scheduled public hearing, and the House keeps that window open from the moment the hearing notice is published until midnight on the day the hearing adjourns.
Deadlines and numbers
- Written testimony window (House): notice publication through midnight the day of the hearing.
- Remote testimony: chair authorization required per hearing. Request before the hearing starts.
- No published fixed per-speaker minute limit. Committees manage speaking time at the chair's discretion.
Where to go
- House hearing schedule: https://house.mo.gov/AllHearings.aspx
- House witness form: https://witness.house.mo.gov
- House Witness Testimony FAQ: https://house.mo.gov/WitnessTestimonyFAQ.aspx
- Senate hearing schedule: https://senate.mo.gov/hearingsschedule/hrings.htm
- Senate Witness System: https://senate.mo.gov/senatewitnesssystem