Illinois Witness Slips Guide
ILARJ currently supports the following legislation. If you would like to sign witness slips to support our work, you can find the information and link on the bill page below.
How to send Witness Slips (click text)
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Go to ILGA.gov.
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Search for the bill number you are looking for in the top righthand corner.
(Example: HB5287)
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You will be taken to a page that shows the Bill Status. Under “Last Action” you will see the date the bill was assigned to which committee. Click on that committee.
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You will be taken to a page that shows three tabs: Members, Hearings, and Bills. Click on Hearings.
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Next, you will be shown the next scheduled committee hearing date. Click on Details.
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You will be shown a list of bills assigned to the hearing. Find the bill you are looking to sign onto (Example: HB5287) in the list and click on the plus sign on the righthand side to create a witness slip.
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From here, you will start filling out your information. For “Firm/Business or Agency” and “Title” you can put “Self” if you are not filling out the form on behalf of an organization. Note: please be sure to get permission from the organization before you list on the form that you are with that organization.
8.
For the “Representation” section, you can put “Self” or the name of the organization you are submitting a witness slip on behalf of.
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For “Position” select the Original Bill and select Proponent to support the bill, Opponent to oppose it, or neutral for neither. Then click on “Add Position."
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For the “Testimony” section, check “Record of Appearance Only,” (unless you wish to testify in-person or submit written comments) check the box to agree to the ILGA Terms of Agreement, check the the “I am not a robot” box, and click “Submit Witness Slip.”
11.
If your witness slip is submitted successfully, you will see a confirmation message and should also receive an email.
WITNESS SLIP FAQs
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A witness slip is a short online form that lets people — both Illinois residents as well as other concerned members of the broader public — officially record their position on a bill that is scheduled to be heard in a legislative committee. This is one of the main ways the public can participate in the lawmaking process without being physically present.
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By filing a witness slip, individuals and organizations can voice their support, opposition, or a neutral stance on a specific bill, and lawmakers see and consider these positions when they vote on whether or not to pass that bill out of a committee.
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Witness slips give everyday people a direct, documented voice in committee hearings where many bills live or die. If a bill does not pass through a committee hearing, it will not be considered for a chamber floor vote.
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Not for the same committee hearing. A bill may go through committee more than once or may be up for a committee hearing vote multiple times. Every time a new vote is scheduled, it is another opportunity to submit another witness slip. Witness slips from previous hearings stay visible on the bill’s page for transparency, but they do not transfer or apply to the new hearing.
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It is important to submit a witness slip each and every time a bill is up for a committee hearing vote for both the House and Senate to show lawmakers support for the bill hasn’t declined.
Due to the fast-paced schedule of the Illinois legislature, witness slips may need to be filed last minute. We encourage you to follow our tracker for updates on bills we support.
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Anyone. For any witness slip you file, you can file it as an individual or on behalf of an organization. Please be sure to get permission from the organization before you list on the form that you are with that organization.
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If you file a witness slip, be sure to also call your legislators about the bill. These are the two best ways to support legislation and help it get through the legislative process.