Oregon Legislative Counsel
The Oregon Legislative Counsel is a nonpartisan legislative service agency that handles the bill drafting and general research needs of the Oregon Legislature.
Mission Statement
The Office of the Legislative Counsel provides legal and publication services to the Legislative Assembly and its members and other agencies of state government. The office drafts measures and amendments for legislators, legislative committees and state agencies; provides legal advice to legislators and legislative committees; reviews state agency rules for legal sufficiency; prepares indexes and tables for legislative publications; and edits, publishes, sells and distributes the Oregon Revised Statutes, the official bound session laws and other print and electronic publications.[1]
Governance
The Oregon Legislative Counsel is governed by the Legislative Counsel Committee which is responsible for appointing all staff members. The Committee consists of all the presiding officers of both the Oregon House of Representatives and the Oregon State Senate.[2]
Services offered
Bill drafting
Oregon Legislative Counsel provides all bill drafting for members of the [[Oregon Legislature and their staff. There are bill drafters on staff to make sure the bills are in compliance with the Oregon Code and the Oregon Constitution.[3]
Legislative publications
Oregon's Code, Revised Statutes, and other related publications on the Oregon Legislature are published by the Office of Legislative Counsel.[4]
Research and opinions
The Office of Legislative Counsel provides most general research and provides opinions on the constitutionality of bills, resolutions, and ballot initiatives. The Office of Legislative Counsel has a staff attorney for different subject areas to provide research on the requests of legislators.[5]
History
The Office of Legislative Counsel was created in 1953 on a act of the Oregon Legislature. Before the Office of Legislative Counsel was created, volunteer attorneys did work for the Legislature including bill drafting and research.[6]
See also
- State legislative research service bureaus
- Oregon Legislative Fiscal Office
- Oregon State Senate
- Oregon House of Representatives
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Oregon Legislative Counsel, "Mission Statement"
- ↑ Oregon Legislative Counsel, "History"(See Legislative Counsel Committee)
- ↑ Oregon Legislative Counsel, "Bill Drafting"
- ↑ Oregon Legislative Counsel, "Publications"
- ↑ Oregon Legislative Counsel, "Research and Opinions"
- ↑ Oregon Legislative Counsel, "History"
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