As an outsider, the General Assembly can seem like an impenetrable fortress. How do you get your voice heard?

The General Assembly is far more accessible than Congress. Citizens regularly stop by unannounced at their Delegate or Senator's office and get a few minutes of his or her time. However, it is recommended to call and request an appointment first. The legislative session is extremely hectic but a constituent has a special power — the right to vote. So it's best to start with your own representatives; you have two of them, one in the House of Delegates and one in the Senate.

If you don't know your legislator, find someone who does. A legislator is more likely to respond favorably with an introduction from someone they know.

Do some basic research, and you may discover you have some connection to your legislators.

• Where were they born?
• Where did they go to college?
• What do they do for a living?
• Who are their biggest campaign donors?

Legislators are inundated with emails during the session. As a result, emails sent to a legislator's state-issued email address are usually routed to a legislative aide or intern. Unless you have access to a legislator's personal email, the most effective form of written communication can be a throwback, a personal hand-addressed letter sent through the mail.

Most legislators have two mailing addresses, one used during the General Assembly session and one used the rest of the year.

Mailing Address During Session

• Delegate [Name]
  House of Delegates
  PO Box 406
  Richmond, VA 23218
• Senator [Name]
  Senate of Virginia
  PO Box 396
  Richmond, VA 23218

District Mailing Addresses

• House of Delegates
• Senate of Virginia

Trying to reach your legislator by phone or even stopping by their office can be intimidating. Members are busy, and each office has several levels of gatekeepers.

• Administrative Aide: These are part-time employees who do not work for the member, but are employed by the House or Senate. They take messages, write letters and do administrative tasks. If you want to make an appointment, they usually will hand you off to the legislative assistant, who keeps the legislator's calendar.

• Intern: These are volunteers assigned to meet with people when the legislator or legislative aide is unavailable, as well as other tasks. If you bring something in writing, keep it to a single page. The session is a very busy time and longer messages are less likely to be read.

• Legislative Assistant: These are full-time employees of the member who are the ultimate gatekeeper (they also are known as "legislative aides"). They work and live in the district, handle constituent affairs, often work on the legislator's campaign and are trusted advisors.

Before you make a cold call, look up the representative and find the name of his or her Legislative Assistant(s).

• House of Delegates
• Senate of Virginia

Citizens are provided the opportunity to testify on every bill, if they so desire. After a patron has presented a bill and the committee (or subcommittee) members have had a chance to ask questions, the chair will ask for public comment and any person in the room is offered an opportunity to present their view. The protocol is to state your name and the name of the group you are representing (if one), provide your position on the bill (I support / I oppose), and then give a very brief statement as to why you have that position.

Citizens will be given the opportunity to provide committee testimony without having to travel to Richmond. Both House and Senate officials have said they will accept committee testimony via Zoom and receive written comments online.

• General Assembly Meeting Schedule

Capitol Square is located in downtown Richmond, on a hill overlooking the James River. Google Map

The General Assembly's website provides a helpful tool for how best to get to the Capitol Square.

For a list of parking options near the Capitol, see the resources below:

• City of Richmond's Interactive Parking Map
• Downtown Richmond Off-Street Parking Map

The action takes place in two buildings – the State Capitol (the white-columned building designed by Thomas Jefferson where the daily floor sessions begin each day at noon) and the General Assembly Building at 201 N. 9th Street where the legislators' offices are located (most committee meetings are held in this building). The General Assembly Building was completed in 2023 and 2024 is the first session where it will be utilized.

There is a tunnel that can be used to walk from the basement of the General Assembly Building to the Capitol Building.

To enter the Capitol Building and the General Assembly Building, members of the public must pass through metal detectors. The screening line can be long at certain times. If you have an appointment or are planning on attending a hearing, it's a good idea to arrive early to give yourself time to clear security.

Under House and Senate rules, the following items are prohibited:

Any device that may disrupt the conduct of business, including but not limited to voice-amplification equipment; bullhorns; blow horns; sirens, or other noise-producing devices; as well as signs on sticks, poles or stakes; or helium-filled balloons.

Firearms

Effective July 2021, people are not allowed to bring firearms onto the grounds of Capital Square, inside the State Capitol or inside the General Assembly Building. This ban also applies to people with valid concealed carry permits.

The main public entrances to the General Assembly Building on Broad Street and in Capitol Square and the Capitol Building on Bank Street are all handicap accessible.

Cars with handicapped plates or hang tags are able to park and unload passengers on Bank Street near the public entrance. There is no public parking on the Capitol Square grounds.