The Law Library Guide to the 2021 Remote Legislative Session
Like almost every event in the COVID-19 era, the 2021 session of the Washington State Legislature will look, sound, and feel significantly different. While it has convened on time, legislative buildings remain closed to the public and crowded meeting spaces are being replaced by remote hearing equipment. Votes will be cast remotely and even the swearing in of some new members is taking place off-site.
These adjustments are all part of comprehensive COVID-19 session operations plans submitted by the House and Senate. Each plan details what will happen on opening day, during floor proceedings, and in committee meetings. They also include specifics on how attendees will be screened prior to any in-person events. The House plan includes how members will work and even vote remotely, while Senate members will vote in shifts in order to ensure social distancing, according to their plan.
The 2021 legislative proceedings will be broadcast on TVW.
Here are some common questions we receive at the library about researching current legislation:
How do I determine the status of a bill I’m interested in?
Detailed legislative status reports can be run on specific bills, a range of bills, or all session bills at the legislature’s Bill Status Report page. If you have bills that you would like to track throughout the legislative session, you can register for a bill tracking account. Quick status tools are also available at the Legislative Information Center’s website.
I heard I can now testify remotely on a bill in a committee hearing. Is this true?
Remote testimony began as a pilot program in 2020 and has expanded to Zoom for select meetings in 2021 in the wake of COVID-19. According to the House Session Operations Plan, “The public can sign up to provide testimony over the virtual platform once a bill is scheduled for public hearing. The sign-up will close one hour prior to the start of the meeting. Those testifying will be provided an individual Zoom link in order to participate. The Chairs will continue to decide the order and length of the public testimony. Additionally, there will be a process to accept written testimony for bills scheduled for public hearing.”
Sign in information for House, Senate, or Joint Committee remote testimony can be found here. More information on your testimony options, along with tips on testifying, can be found at the legislature’s website. You can also check committee schedules, agendas and review documents here. The Legislative Information Center has put together an Accessing the Legislature Remotely resource list for navigating this year’s remote session.
What legislative materials can I access at the legislature’s website besides just the bills?
You can find a bill using one of the search features at the legislature’s Bill Information page. Once you find a specific bill, you can access the text of the original bill, as well as substitute bills and the law as it passed the legislature. Bills can be amended at various stages of the legislative process, and amendments, whether adopted or not, can be accessed at the bill history page. You can also find the bill digest, bill reports, fiscal notes and committee hearing videos.
What do all of these legislative terms mean?
Even we librarians get confused by legislative terms. When we are stumped we use the legislature’s Glossary of Legislative Terms. Educators may find the printable version of the glossary helpful in the classroom.
I want to contact my legislator. I don’t even know my legislative district. Is there a quick way to find that out?
Yes! Go to the Washington State Legislative District Finder and enter your address. Your legislative district and state representative and senator will be listed on a map. Click on a legislator’s name and you will be directed to their information with an email link. This works for your federal congressional district too! The legislature’s website also has a How to comment on a bill information page and a publication called Methods for Contacting Your Legislators.
The Washington State Law Library is equipped to help you with your legislative research needs. If you don’t see an answer to your question here or need assistance with researching older legislation, please give us a call at 360–357–2136. You can also email us at library.requests@courts.wa.gov if you would like a copy of our legislative history research guide or would like assistance by email. (LE)
