Resources for understanding and participating in the legislative process
Guidance from WACD’s lobbyist
Review last year’s guidance from WACD lobbyist Brynn Brady in her PowerPoint presentation:
- WACD: Advocacy & Legislative Outreach (PowerPoint file)
- WACD: Advocacy & Legislative Outreach (PDF file)
The Legislature’s one-page guide
The Washington State Legislature publishes a one-page guide titled A Citizen’s Guide to Effective Legislative Participation. This guide covers:
- Know how the process works
- Make yourself the expert
- Get to know your legislators
- Get to know legislative staff
- Network with other citizens
- Key points to remember
How does a bill become law?
How a Bill Becomes a Law explains the sequence of steps a piece of legislation goes through before becoming law. Overview of the Legislative Process provides more detailed explanations of those steps.
How to read a bill
A Guide to Reading a Legislature Measure (PDF download) guides you through the actual bill language.
How to testify in committee
How to Testify in Committee covers:
- “Open” Legislature
- Committee hearings
- Before the hearing
- Meeting virtually
- How the meeting is conducted
- Making your remarks
- How to submit written testimony
Understanding the process (YouTube video series)
For a more enjoyable, video-based introduction to the various steps a piece of legislation goes through, view Mike Hoover’s Civics 101 series on YouTube. Brief videos on these topics are available:
- Introducing Mike Hoover: Your Soon to Be Favorite Parliamentarian
- What is the Law?
- What is the Legislature?
- Legislative Process: Part 1
- Legislative Process: Part 2
- What is a Lobbyist?
- Welcome to the First Week: Policy Committees
- Fiscal Committees
- The Rules Committee
Questions or concerns? Please contact our WACD Olympia staff at oly@wacd.org.