The Request To Speak program (RTS) is designed to allow the public to register an opinion on bills listed on agendas and to request to speak on a bill in a committee. It replaces the old slips of paper previously used to sign in and let the committee chairperson know you want to speak to the committee. Under the old paper system, you could only sign in to speak or register an opinion if you were physically at the capitol. After the initial setup, at a kiosk, the RTS program allows you to participate from your home or office.
When the committee is in session, the committee members, and the public, will see a list of names of people who have registered an opinion, if you wish to speak or not, who you are representing, and comments you may leave in the comment box. This information is alsoavailable if a person searches past committee agendas. Legislators will see your bill position throughout the process.
The Protecting Arizona’s Family Coalition makes it easy to sign up for RTS, and they keep you alerted on legislative activity that needs your input when you join their Rapid Response Team. By filling out the linked form and sending it back to PAFCO, they’ll create your RTS account for you at the Capitol! Advocacy has never been so easy!