Sending your letter via the State Portal is important for every bill you oppose or support. It’s the only way to ensure YOUR GROUP is cited in the committee report and your concerns are considered by the committee’s “bill analyst.”
This is in addition to letters/Zoom/calls with your senator & assembly member!
How to use the California Legislature’s “Position Letter Portal”
You can send in your position as an individual AND as a group!
Instructions to Submit as an individual (GROUP INSTRUCTIONS BELOW):
1. Write a letter about the bill. Have it READY on your computer with your name or group’s name at the top, your address, the date. Below your info, address it to: The Hon. (Committee Chair’s Name), Name of Committee, Sacramento CA, 95814
Subject: Oppose Bill (AB or SB bill number here)
(You will upload this letter to the Portal about halfway thru the below process).
2. Sign in if you’ve used The Portal, or create a new Portal account, at this website: calegislation.lc.ca.gov/Advocates/faces/index.xhtml
a) “Sign In” if you have been in the Portal before! IF YOU ARE NEW, then do this:
b) Click on ‘Create An Account,” at the bottom of the Sign In Box. A new page will open – type in your email and click. The Portal system will respond by sending you an assigned password to your email address. Go to your email to retrieve the assigned password from the Portal. (Check in your Junk mail if you don’t see the message!) A long password will be in the message. Copy the long password and click back to the “Portal Sign In” page. Now Sign In with your email and your new state-assigned password.
3. Next, on Activity Page click on “Submit A Letter” in the upper left-hand corner.
4. Bill selection: Identify the bill by choosing Assembly (AB) or Senate (SB), then type in the bill number. Ignore “Session Type” and click Search.
5. Then select the MOST RECENT “bill version” and click NEXT. Then select every legislative committee box that appears. Then click SELECT FILE.
6. Select “Oppose” or “Support” for the bill. Ignore the other choices.
7. In “Subject,” type “I/we oppose this bill.” Then click CHOOSE FILE to upload your pre-written letter from your desktop. If an empty “text box” shows up, just copy and paste your pre-written letter right into the text box.
8. Final page! Hit SUBMIT!
INSTRUCTIONS TO SUBMIT A LETTER AS A GROUP:
1. Have a short letter ready on your desktop, from the group, on letterhead naming the group. Your letterhead can be as simple as boldface at the top! Your group name can be as simple as “Residents of [Name of Street]”. One leader of the group must sign the letter! Other members can be named, or just officers can be named. Simplest way to sign your group letter: take a photo of your signature and drag the photo into the bottom of the letter.
Then follow steps 2 – 5 above for individuals, which are:
2. Create an account for your group at The Portal, by going here https://calegislation.lc.ca.gov/Advocates/faces/index.xhtml,
a) “Sign In” if your group has used the Portal before! BUT IF YOUR GROUP IS NEW to the Portal, do this instead:
b) Click on ‘Create An Account,” at the bottom of the Sign In Box. A new page will open – type in your email and click. The Portal system will respond by sending you an assigned password to that email. Go to your email for the message from the Portal. Check in your Junk mail if you don’t see the message! A long password will be in the message. Copy the long password and click back to the Portal Sign In page. Now Sign In with your email and your state-assigned password.
Now you are registered to send letters straight to the key committees!
3. Next, on Activity Page click on “Submit A Letter” in upper left-hand page.
4. Bill selection: ID the bill you’re commenting on, by choosing Assembly (AB) or Senate (SB), then type the bill number. Ignore “Session Type” and click Search.
5. Then select the MOST RECENT “bill version” and click NEXT. Then select every legislative committee box that appears. Click SELECT FILE.
6. FOR GROUP LETTERS, the system will ask if you are submitting as an individual or as a GROUP! Click “Create New Organization” or, if your group has used the Portal, find your name under “list of organizations” and select it.
IF The Portal says your organization is already registered, that means another group, in the past years, used the same name. There are 1000s of group names in the system already. So: ALTER YOUR NAME SLIGHTLY TO JOIN. ADD THE WORD “THE” TO THE BEGINNING, AND ADD “& FRIENDS” TO THE END – SOMETHING SIMPLE.
7. Choose between “Oppose” or “Support” for the bill. Ignore the other choices.
8. In “Subject,” type “We Oppose this bill.” Then click “Choose File” and upload your pre-prepared Group Letter from your computer desktop. But if an empty “text box” shows up on the page, just copy and paste your prewritten Group Letter into that empty text box.
9. Final page! Hit SUBMIT!