This guide walks you through what it means to be part of the Public Policy Action Group. You'll learn what to expect, what's expected of you, and how to participate effectively in shaping public policy during the legislative session.
By the end of this training (which includes watching a 90-minute recording of the 2026 kickoff call) you'll know how to submit testimony, use our resources, and make your voice count when it matters most.
The strategy: coordinated action
Individual voices matter, but coordinated voices are harder to ignore.
When legislators see testimony on a bill, they're looking for two things: how many people care, and why they care. A hundred identical form letters tell them the first part. A hundred different people sharing different reasons (personal stories, professional expertise, community impact) tells them both.
This is what we call the "divide and conquer" approach: instead of everyone repeating the same talking points, we encourage members to:
- Share different perspectives on the same bill
- Draw from personal experience (your story carries weight)
- Make the argument that resonates most with you
- Build a comprehensive case that covers multiple angles
When we ask you to submit testimony on a certain bill, we provide talking points as a starting place (or a way to save time if you're not sure what to say), not a script you need to follow. The more you can make your testimony your own, the more effective it becomes.
Beyond individual testimony, we also coordinate timing. Bills move fast during session, and a hearing with strong constituent testimony can make the difference between a bill advancing or dying in committee. When we send you an alert, it's because your voice is needed right then, often within the next couple of days.
What You'll Be Doing
When you join the Public Policy Action Group, here's what to expect:
Receiving email alerts
During the legislative session (January through early May), you'll receive email notifications when a hearing is scheduled on a bill we're tracking in your chosen issue areas. Alerts include:
- The bill number and summary
- Our position (support or oppose)
- Talking points to help you craft testimony
- The hearing date and deadline for testimony
- A direct link to submit on the Capitol website
Frequency varies. During active weeks, you might receive several alerts; during slower periods, you might go days without one.
Submitting testimony
Most of the time, you'll submit written testimony through the Hawaii State Legislature's website (capitol.hawaii.gov). This typically takes 15-30 minutes per bill. Occasionally, we may ask you to submit oral testimony via Zoom or in person at the Capitol, which requires more time but can have greater impact.
Find our guide on submitting testimony on this page.
Choosing your focus
You don't need to testify on every bill we track. When you sign up, you'll select which issue areas matter most to you (Gun Safety, LGBTQIA+ Rights, Healthcare, Taxes & Subsidies, Migrant Rights, Free & Fair Elections). You'll only receive alerts for those areas.
Staying consistent
The power of the Public Policy Action Group comes from showing up regularly. If you commit to one or two issue areas and respond to most alerts in those areas, you're doing your part.
How We Choose Which Bills to Track
The Hawaii State Legislature considers thousands of bills each session. We don't track all of them — we focus on the ones where we believe we can make a difference.
Our issue areas and advocacy partners
Throughout the year, our Public Policy Team works with key advocacy partners to identify the priority bills for the legislative session. For example, in 2026, we identified six issues, working with these partners:
| Issue | Bills Supported | Bills Advancing | Expert Advocacy Partners |
|---|---|---|---|
| Migrant Rights | 17 | 16 | ACLU-Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi Coalition for Immigrant Rights, Hawaiʻi Coalition for Civil Rights |
| Affordability | 12 | 7 | Hawaiʻi Tax Fairness Coalition |
| Free and Fair Elections | 14 | 10 | Good Government Council |
| Healthcare | 9 | 5 | Hawaiʻi Health & Harm Reduction Center |
| Gun Safety | 5 | 3 | Moms Demand Action |
| LGBTQIA+ | 1 | 1 | Stonewall Caucus |
For each of these issues, we agree on a set of topics in advance of the Legislative Opening and finalize the starting list immediately after the deadline for members to submit their bills.
How bills are tracked during the session
Each issue of interest has one "issue owner" — a person responsible for tracking bills, providing sample testimony for each bill, and updating that testimony throughout the session. Every amendment needs review, because sometimes an amendment will flip our position from Support to Oppose.
A legislative watcher updates the daily status based on legislative events, such as when a hearing is scheduled. Hearings are often scheduled on 48 hours' notice, which is why we send rapid action emails to all Public Policy Team members when something changes that requires testimony or action.
For every bill with new status, the email provides a link to sample testimony and a link for submitting testimony. Since the public cannot submit testimony prior to the hearing being scheduled, everyone needs to watch the daily updates.
What we prioritize, and why
We prioritize bills based on:
- Alignment with our values and our members' priorities
- Likelihood of passage (we focus energy where it can make a difference)
- Timing and strategic windows (some bills need immediate attention; others can wait)
- Capacity (we track what we can reasonably support with talking points and coordination)
You can see the full list of bills we're currently tracking on this page (note that we stop updating them at the end of each legislative session in May).
Understanding the Bills We Track
Committee referrals and why they matter
When a bill is introduced, it's assigned to one or more committees before it can reach a floor vote. The more committees a bill goes through, the harder it is to pass. A bill with five committee referrals is often a signal that leadership doesn't want it to advance.
Bills die in committee all the time — sometimes because there's no testimony, sometimes because the committee chair decides not to schedule a hearing, sometimes because testimony is overwhelmingly opposed.
This is why your testimony matters. A bill with strong constituent support has a better chance of making it through each committee and eventually to a floor vote.
What if you disagree with our position?
You're a constituent first. If we're asking members to support a bill and you have concerns, you can:
- Skip that particular alert (no explanation needed)
- Submit testimony opposing the bill (you have every right to do so)
- Contact us to discuss your concerns
We coordinate positions, but we don't enforce them. Your relationship with your legislators is your own.
Using the "Daily Updates" Spreadsheet
When you receive an email alert, it will include a link to our "daily updates" spreadsheet. This is your reference guide for all bills we're tracking during the session.
What's in the spreadsheet:
- Bills organized by issue area
- Bill numbers, titles, and brief summaries
- Our position (support/oppose)
- Talking points for most bills
- Links to the full bill text on the Capitol website
How to use the spreadsheet:
- Find the bill you're looking for (organized by issue area)
- Check our position (oppose or support) and read our talking points
- Click the link to the Capitol website to submit your testimony
The talking points are designed to give you a starting place, not a finished product. Legislators and their staff can tell when testimony is copied verbatim, and personalized testimony carries more weight.
How to Submit Testimony
Submitting testimony is straightforward once you've done it a couple of times. Here's the short version:
- Log in at capitol.hawaii.gov (first time? Create a free account)
- Click Submit Testimony, enter the bill number, and click Continue
- Choose Support or Oppose as recommended, then write your testimony
- Click Submit
Customizing your testimony
While you can copy the talking points and paste them into your testimony, we recommend you customize them in your own words — or write your own testimony from scratch, adding your personal experience or perspective. Copy-pasting our talking points is fine if you're short on time, but personalized testimony is more effective — especially when many members are testifying on the same bill.
Written vs. oral testimony:
Most of the time, you'll submit written testimony only. This goes into the official record and is read by committee members and their staff.
Occasionally, we'll ask members to submit oral testimony — either in person at the Capitol or via Zoom. Oral testimony gives you a chance to speak directly to the committee (usually for 2-3 minutes), and it can be especially powerful for personal stories or when we need to show broad public support.
For a detailed walkthrough, including what makes testimony effective and how to make your voice count, see our full resource: How to Submit Testimony
Watch the 2026 Kickoff Video
This recording from our January 2026 kickoff goes deeper into how the legislature works, why testimony matters, and includes a live demonstration of the testimony submission process. It's about 90 minutes long and covers:
- A panel discussion with Senator Karl Rhoads and Representative Jeanne Kapela
- An overview of our six issue area priorities for the 2026 session
- A step-by-step demo of how to submit testimony on the Capitol website
- Answers to common questions from new members
We strongly recommend watching the video before you commit to join the Public Policy Action Group — it provides valuable context that will help you participate more effectively.
Ready to Join?
If you're ready to add your voice to the Public Policy Action Group, here's what happens next:
- Sign up here and tell us which issue areas you care about
- Someone will be in touch to confirm you're set up and answer any questions
- Once the next hearing is scheduled on one of your issues, you'll receive an email alert with everything you need to submit testimony
Questions? Contact our Public Policy team – we're here to help.
Want to learn more first? Head back to the Legislative Session page to explore the issues we're tracking and see what else is involved.