If you care about a bill in Rhode Island, written testimony is one of the most direct ways to influence what happens next.
The Rhode Island General Assembly accepts public testimony on bills, and committees review that input during hearings. You can testify in person, but written testimony is often the easiest and most practical option for working people, parents, students, and anyone who cannot spend hours at the State House. The key is knowing what to write, where to send it, and how to make it count.
Know where your testimony goes
Committee agendas include instructions for testimony submission. Agendas can be found here. For House hearings, testimony is sent to the committee clerk email listed on that specific agenda. For Senate hearings, guidance and committee document pages is submitted and posted through the Senate via SL**********@***********re.gov. Always follow the instructions on the specific agenda for the bill you are addressing.
For each committee list specifically, go to the state’s Committee Listing web page. This will have the committee’s general email as well as all members with their email addresses. Note that it is recommended to CC all members of the committee hearing the bill in addition to the Committee secretary as well.
Also important: testimony is public. The General Assembly posts written testimony online, and those documents may be indexed by search engines. Do not include personal information you do not want public.
House Judiciary
Ho************@***********re.gov
re*********@***********re.gov
re********@***********re.gov
re********@***********re.gov
re********@***********re.gov
re*********@***********re.gov
re*********@***********re.gov
re**********@***********re.gov
re**********@***********re.gov
re*********@***********re.gov
re********@***********re.gov
re******@***********re.gov
re*******@***********re.gov
re*********@***********re.gov
re*******@***********re.gov
re*******@***********re.gov
Senate Judiciary
sl**********@***********re.gov
se************@***********re.gov
se**********@***********re.gov
se************@***********re.gov
se*******@***********re.gov
se*********@***********re.gov
se******@***********re.gov
se*********@***********re.gov
se**********@***********re.gov
se*********@***********re.gov
se**********@***********re.gov
se**********@***********re.gov
What your testimony should include
State guidance says written testimony should include:
- Your name (and organization, if relevant)
- Bill number(s)
- Your position: for, against, or neither
If you are including multiple bills in your written testimony, create one list of bills you are in support of, and one list you are opposed to. However, often it is better to pick specific bills and write individualized emails for each bill.
For House and Senate hearings, include the relevant article/section or agency/department as instructed. PDF format is often preferred for faster processing.
The best structure for a strong testimony letter
Use this simple, persuasive structure:
- Header
- “Testimony on [Bill Number], [Bill Title]”
- Your name, town/city, role (optional)
- Position: Support / Oppose / Neutral
- Opening (2–4 sentences)
- State exactly what you want the committee to do (pass, hold, amend, reject).
- Say why this matters to Rhode Islanders.
- Your key points (2–4 short sections)
- Use facts, lived experience, and practical impact.
- Keep each point focused and concrete.
- If possible, explain local impact (cost, safety, schools, taxes, small business, etc.).
- Specific ask
- Example: “I respectfully ask the committee to hold this bill for further study unless Section 3 is amended.”
- Close
- Thank the chair and members for considering your testimony.
Writing tips that legislators actually read
- Keep it to one page when possible.
- Use plain English and short paragraphs.
- Avoid insults and personal attacks.
- Focus on outcomes, not party labels.
- Use numbers carefully and cite your source if you include stats.
- Personal stories are powerful—especially when tied to specific bill language.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Forgetting to include the bill number.
- Sending testimony to the wrong committee email.
- Writing too generally (“this is bad”) without explaining what should change.
- Including private contact details you do not want posted publicly.
- Submitting too late for the hearing packet (typically 48 hours).
Ready to use testimony template
Subject line: Testimony on [Bill Number] – [Support/Oppose/Neutral]
Email body:
Chair [Name] and Members of the Committee,
My name is [Your Name], and I am a resident of [Town/City], Rhode Island. I am writing to submit testimony [in support of / in opposition to / neither for nor against] [Bill Number, Bill Title].
I respectfully ask the committee to [pass / hold / amend / reject] this bill.
My position is based on three concerns:
- [Point One]
[1–3 sentences with specific impact] - [Point Two]
[1–3 sentences with specific impact] - [Point Three]
[1–3 sentences with specific impact]
If the committee moves this bill forward, I urge you to amend [section/language] to [specific fix].
Thank you for your time and for your service to Rhode Island.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Organization, if any]
[City/Town, RI]
Consider verbal testimony as well
Think of written and spoken testimony as a one two strategy, not separate tasks.
Your written testimony should contain your full argument, supporting details, and any citations or section specific recommendations about multiple bills. Your spoken testimony should be the condensed headline version that highlights your top points for the single most critical bill in under two minutes. When both are aligned, committee members can hear your key message quickly and then refer back to your written submission for depth.
Use this simple method:
Written version: Full detail, complete reasoning, specific bill language, proposed edits.
Spoken version: Top two or three points, one clear ask, strong close.
Same core message: Do not change your position between versions.
Reference your submission verbally:
“I have submitted written testimony with additional detail and specific amendment language for the committee’s review.”
A helpful rule: if your spoken testimony includes a claim that needs extra explanation, make sure that explanation is clearly documented in your written testimony. This gives your public comments immediate impact while preserving a complete record for committee review.
We have an article on how to prepare and deliver verbal testimony here.
Final thought
Rhode Island is small enough that constituent voices can truly move legislation—especially when testimony is clear, specific, and submitted on time. We have held many bills at bay by providing overwhelming numbers of written and verbal testimonies over the years. If it were not for this, every bad bill would pass every year. We have kept that down to one or two. While this is one or two too many, it is still better than ten or twelve a year, and much worse bills
If you want change, don’t just complain about a bill on social media. Put your position on the official record. If you need more personalized assistance, email us and we will be happy to assist you.