HOW TO TESTIFY AT THE MGA

To sign-up to testify on a bill, you must first make a “MyMGA account”. 

  1. You can do so HERE: https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Account/Register/Tracking 
  2. You will be asked to provide identifying information and a confirmation will be sent to your provided email address. NOTE: ONLY enter an organization in the last field if you’ve been given express permission and instruction by that organization to speak on its behalf. 
  3. SPECIAL NOTE:
  • The signup window for Senate bills is only available one business day ahead of a bill’s hearing between the hours of 8am and 3pm. To speak during a hearing on Monday, one must signup on the preceding Friday.
  • The signup window for House bills is only available two business days ahead of a bill’s hearing between the hours of 8am and 3pm. If a bill is scheduled to be heard on Monday or Tuesday, signup is available on Thursday and Friday, respectively.
  • Use the Bill Tracking feature to keep track of when your Bill’s window is open
  1. Once you’ve signed in, navigate to “Witness Signup” which you can get to by clicking the MyMGA logo in the top right of the webpage. 
  2. Select the bill or bills you’d like to testify on and whether you are speaking, submitting written testimony, or you can (and we encourage you to!) select “Both.” The committee does not have to let you speak, as the Chairs have wide discretion over how the hearing proceeds, but your written testimony and stance will always be with the bill file.
BillSignup
  • Leave the Organization field blank unless you are speaking on behalf of an organization. 
  • Select your position (Favorable, Favorable with Amendments, Informational Only, or Unfavorable). 
  • Then select which kind of testimony you’re providing (again, doing both is preferred). If you choose In-Person Oral, you’re guaranteed to speak. 
  • If you’d like to simply state your position on a bill, you may just select your position and then select “None” in the testimony box. 
  • If submitting written testimony, you will need to upload a .pdf. 

Take your time here and be deliberate with your choices. Review your choices before clicking the Save button toward the top of the chart.

Checking on Bill Status:

You can find Voting Lists under the Committee menu on the General Assembly Web Site. Choose the Committee, then choose “Meetings.”  Scroll down the Meeting Agendas to the upcoming week and check for “Voting List” under the Date. Click to see if the bill has been scheduled for a vote.