How to create a Montana Legislative account and contact legislators

The new Montana Legislative website requires that you set up an account in order to interact with the Legislature online.

How to set up an account on the Montana Legislative website:

1. Use this link: https://www.legmt.gov/participate/
2. Click on the "public participation" button and follow the instructions to set up a new account. NOTE: you will have to enter your email address, ask to send a message to your email, get the code from the message, enter it onto the page, then click "Verify" in order to activate the rest of the form and fill in your name and other information.

Once you have an account, you sign in and choose which method you want to use to contact legislators (see below).

Three ways to contact Legislators in the Montana 2025 session with your views on specific bills:

ONE: Send Comments

Legislators receive messages to a special account unique to each legislator. This is an effective way to weigh in with a support or oppose comment on a specific bill. If the bill is in Committee, you can reach all the legislators on the Committee with one message. If the bill is up for a floor vote, you can reach your legislator as a constituent.

You can send comments to legislators either through your account online, or by making a phone call to the message desk at the Capitol.

BY PHONE: number to leave a message, for up to several Legislators at a time, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday: (406) 444-4800

ONLINE: You can leave a message for legislators 24/7 by using the online message option. Here's how:

1. Sign into your Montana Legislature website account (see above for information on setting up an account)
2. Choose the "General, Send Message" option.
3. Choose either "send message to legislators" or "to Committee" depending upon whether the bill is still in committee. Then use the triangle icon on the far right of the search window to scroll and find the legislators or committee you need. Select what you want, and the "Continue" button will become available. Click on "Continue."
4. The message form will then appear - fill in the bill number and your stance in the "Subject" line, for example "Support HB 83". Fill in your comments in the "Comment" box, beginning with whether you support or oppose the bill. Legislators typically don't have time to read lengthy explanations, and will likely just look for whether you are for or against the bill. You should be short and to the point, with a short first sentence with your stance on the bill.  The Comment box is limited to 1000 characters, not words.  There is a tally below the lower left-hand corner of the comment box that lets you know how many characters you have used.  If you are over the limit, you will not be able to submit.
5. Upload any documents in support of your position or a PDF of your comments if they don't fit in the comment box. (this is optional).
6. Hit "Submit" and you are done!

TWO: Provide Testimony for a Committee Hearing

Every bill goes to a committee that then holds a hearing on the bill, and this happens for every bill twice: once in each chamber of the Legislature. So, for example, a House Bill goes to a House Committee first, where it must have a hearing before it can be voted on. If it passes the Committee and the floor votes, it is then sent to the Senate where it goes to a Committee, and must have a hearing before it is voted on in the Senate. The same is true for Senate bills, in reverse.  This is the most powerful way to send comments to the Legislature, as your comments become part of the official hearing record.

When a bill is scheduled for a hearing, it will appear within the "Standing Committees" option in your participation account. It is always recommended to submit written testimony, even if you are also going to provide oral testimony.

How to submit written testimony:

1. Sign in to your account on the Montana Legislature website and select the "Submit Testimony and Exhibits" under the "Standing Committees" option.
2. Select "Regarding a bill" then click on the small triangle at the far right of the "Bill #" search box that appears, to see a list of all of the bills scheduled for hearing. Bills scheduled for hearing are available for submitting testimony until 5:00 of the day before - NOTE: For Monday hearings, the deadline is 5:00 pm Friday.
3. Select the bill from the list.
4. Select from "Proponent" (for); "Opponent" (against) or "Informational Witness" -- In most cases, you will not be an informational witness.
5. Answer "Do you represent yourself?" with "Yes." You are submitting testimony as a citizen, not as a representative of the League. Do not mention the League at all.
6. Answer "Would you like to submit your testimony electronically" with "Yes."
7. Hit the "Continue" Button.
8. Fill in the bill number in the "Subject" box.
9. Fill in your testimony in the "Comment" box, with your stance on the bill in the first sentence.  The Comment box is limited to 1,000 characters, not words. There is a tally below the lower left-hand corner of the comment box that lets you know how many characters you have used.  If you are over the limit, you will not be able to submit.
10. Upload any documents to support your testimony or a PDF of a longer version of your testimony.  This is optional.
11. Hit "Submit" and you are done!

How to sign up to submit oral testimony remotely:

1. Sign in to your account on the Montana Legislature website and look under "Standing Committee."
2. Select the "Testify Remotely" option.
3. Click the circle for "On a Bill."
4. Click on the triangle in the far right side of the Bill # search box, and scroll to find the bill. Bills are only available for testimony between the time they are scheduled for hearing, and 2 hours before the hearing. NOTE: for a morning hearing, the deadline is 5:00 pm the day before: for a Monday morning hearing, the deadline is 5:00 pm Friday.
5. Select the bill by clicking on it.
6. A box displaying the hearing day and time will appear. Click on the box to confirm.
7. Then follow steps 4-11 for submitting written testimony as outlined above. If you have already submitted written testimony, you can answer "NO" to the question "Do you want to submit testimony electrionically?"
8. Hit "Submit" and you will receive an email with instructions and the link to participate in the hearing.  Be sure to save this email where you can find it again and have the link when the hearing is about to start.  You sign into the hearing using the link in this email.

THREE: Call or Email your Legislator Directly

If you have the personal email or phone number of the legislator you wish to reach, you can also try to contact them directly. This is a good option if you are known to the legislator.

Download the diagram on how a bill becomes law in Montana.