Legislative Toolkit
A key element of our democracy and state legislative process is Washingtonians sharing their stories with lawmakers, especially during legislative session. But the process in Olympia can be opaque or intimidating if you’ve never talked to lawmakers before. So we developed this toolkit to help people prepare to talk to their legislators, because our state develops better policies and legislation when elected officials hear directly from people with lived experience of the issues they are trying to address.
- Contacting Your LegislatorsHow to Contact Your Legislators If you aren’t sure who your state legislators are, use Washington’s District Finder. After entering your address, make sure the… Read more: Contacting Your Legislators
- What Committees DoAn Overview of the Legislative Process Legislation, or bills, start in the committee that covers the bill’s general topic. A suicide prevention bill could originate… Read more: What Committees Do
- Tracking a BillFind bill information here. You need to know the bill’s number. Your legislators’ office staff will have this information. HB stands for House Bill; SB… Read more: Tracking a Bill
- Sharing Your StoryHow to Share Your Story There are several ways to share your story with lawmakers. You can write (email, snail mail, online contact forms) your… Read more: Sharing Your Story
- Top Ten Tips for New Advocates
- Giving Public TestimonyPublic testimony can be given virtually or in person, or you can submit written testimony, with or without registering your position on a bill that… Read more: Giving Public Testimony