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How to be heard · Commonwealth of Virginia

Testify at the General Assembly

The House of Delegates and the Senate write state law. The public testifies on bills in committee and subcommittee meetings during the session.

At a glance

Session

Starts each year on the second Wednesday in January. [1]

Length

60 days in even-numbered years and 30 days in odd-numbered years. A two-thirds vote of each house can extend a session up to 30 days. [1]

Time to speak

Set by the chair of each meeting, who decides how much time, if any, the public gets. [6]

Watch

The House and Senate stream all committee and floor sessions live. [7]

First, find the bill and its meeting

  1. Look up the bill

    Search for the bill on the Legislative Information System (LIS). The bill's history shows which committee it went to. [8] For email alerts, LIS lets anyone track up to five bills for free with a "Lobbyist-in-a-Box" watchlist. [9]

    LIS Bill Search →

  2. Find when the committee meets

    House meetings are listed on the House schedule. Senate meetings are listed on the Senate Committee Meetings page. Each listing is also where you sign up to testify remotely. [3] [5]

    House Meeting Schedule →Senate Committee Meetings →

Testify in person in Richmond

  1. Just show up

    You do not need to register in advance to speak in person to a House or Senate committee or subcommittee. Some public hearings may require registration. [2] Senate subcommittees take testimony in person only. [5]

  2. Go to the General Assembly Building

    201 North 9th Street, Richmond. Visitors go through a metal detector and bag X-ray. [10]

  3. Speak

    At the podium, state your name and address the chair and the committee. Keep it brief, skip points other speakers already made, and be ready for questions. A bill can be amended right before the vote, so be ready to adjust. [6]

    Tips for Testifying →

Testify remotely

The House and Senate have different rules. Check which chamber your bill is in.

  1. House: sign up on HODSpeak

    Each meeting on the House schedule has a "Signup to speak or submit comments" link to HODSpeak. Sign-up closes at midnight for morning meetings and at noon for afternoon meetings. [3] Keep your camera on. Signing up does not guarantee time to speak; the chair decides. [4]

    HODSpeak →

  2. Senate: full committees only

    Subcommittees take no virtual testimony. [5]

    Full committees allow virtual testimony from Virginians and recognized subject-matter experts. Registered lobbyists must speak in person. Keep your camera on. [5]

    The sign-up link is on the Senate Committee Meetings page. Sign-up happens in the half hour before the meeting starts. [5] Have the page open at least 30 minutes ahead.

    Senate Committee Meetings →

Write to a committee

  1. Email before the vote

    Send it early enough that committee staff can give it to members before they vote. House committees: CommitteeOps@house.virginia.gov. Senate committees: Committeeoperations@senate.virginia.gov. [6] Name the bill number in the subject line.

  2. House: or use HODSpeak

    The same HODSpeak link for each House meeting accepts written testimony for committee members to review. [3]

  3. Tell your own legislators too

    Your delegate and senator carry the most weight for you. Look them up by address with the official Who's My Legislator tool. [11]

    Who's My Legislator →

Need help to take part?

Ask for an interpreter at least seven days before the meeting. [6]

See Loudoun's delegates and senators and how to reach them →

Sources

Official pages, policies and law of the Virginia General Assembly. Each shows the date we checked it.

  1. [1]Constitution of Virginia, Article IV, Section 6. Virginia Legislative Information System. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
  2. [2]Participation and Public Comment. Virginia General Assembly. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
  3. [3]HODSpeak. Virginia House of Delegates. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
  4. [4]Policy and Guidelines for Citizen Participation in Remote Meetings (February 2024, PDF download). Virginia House of Delegates. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
  5. [5]Participate Remotely: Senate. Virginia General Assembly. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
  6. [6]Tips for Testifying. Virginia General Assembly. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
  7. [7]Live Streaming and Archives. Virginia General Assembly. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
  8. [8]Bill Search. Virginia Legislative Information System. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
  9. [9]Lobbyist-in-a-Box help. Virginia Legislative Information System. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
  10. [10]Visiting the General Assembly Building. Virginia General Assembly. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
  11. [11]Who's My Legislator. Virginia General Assembly. Checked Oct 23, 2026.