Connecticut Legislative Commissioner's Office

The Connecticut Legislative Commissioner's Office (LCO) is a nonpartisan legislative service agency serving the general research and legal needs of the Connecticut General Assembly.

Mission statement

The Legislative Commissioners' Office serves legislators and other officials by drafting legislation that expresses legislative intent in clear, concise and constitutionally sound language, providing legal counsel, publishing legislative documents, and carrying out all other duties assigned by law to the Legislative Commissioners Office.

Governance

The Legislative Commissioner's Office is governed by two commissioners who are responsible for hiring a director to lead the office. The Commissioners are appointed by the General Assembly to staggered four year terms. One Republican and One Democrat serve as Commissioner. The director oversees other staffers.

Services offered

Bill drafting

The Legislative Commissioner's Office engages in all drafting and proofing of bills, resolutions, and amendments.

Legal research

The attorneys on the staff of the Legislative Commissioner's Office is responsible for all legal research to bills to make sure the conform with the state statutes and the Connecticut Constitution.

Publications

The Legislative Commissioner's Office publishes the state statutes and all annual acts that are signed into law. Also the LCO is responsible for designing the website for the state statutes.

History

In 1929, the General Assembly enacted Substitute House Bill No. 824, which created the position of statute revision commissioner to replace the clerk of bills. The commissioner was appointed by the governor every four years, starting from July 1, 1929, and was required to be an attorney with experience in legislative procedure. Their responsibilities included consolidating and codifying statutes, assisting with drafting legislation, and providing support to members of the General Assembly.

In 1947, the General Assembly enacted Public Acts 2 and 5, which repealed all provisions related to the statute revision commissioner and replaced the position with a Legislative Research Department overseen by a legislative commissioner. The act established that the legislative commissioner would initially serve from the date of appointment until July 1, 1947, and then for four-year terms, no longer requiring the commissioner to have experience in legislative procedure but mandating ten years of legal practice in Connecticut before appointment.

In 1959, the General Assembly enacted Public Act No. 478, which replaced the single legislative commissioner with two commissioners of different political parties. The act set the terms for the newly appointed commissioners, with one serving until July 1, 1961, and the other until July 1, 1963, and subsequent appointments lasting four years. It also reduced the required years of practice before being appointed as legislative commissioner from ten to six years.

In 1965, the General Assembly enacted Public Act No. 331, which renamed the Legislative Research Department as the Legislative Commissioners' Office.

See also

• State legislative research service bureaus
• Connecticut General Assembly Office of Fiscal Analysis
• Connecticut State Senate
• Connecticut House of Representatives

External links

• Legislative Commissioner's Office