OFFICE OF
 JOINT COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE MANAGEMENT

jclm@cga.ct.gov
860-240-0100
Room 5100, LOB

The Joint Committee on Legislative Management is the administrative arm of the General Assembly.  All appropriations for the legislative branch of government are under the jurisdiction of this committee and are administered by its nonpartisan staff.

The President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives serve as the co-chairs of the Joint Committee on Legislative Management.  The remaining Senate members include the Majority Leader, a Deputy Majority Leader, four Majority senators, the Minority Leader, an Assistant Minority Leader and two Minority senators.  The remaining House members include the Majority Leader, the Deputy Speakers, the Deputy Majority Leader, three Majority representatives, the Minority Leader, an Assistant Minority Leader, and four Minority representatives.

The Office of Legislative Management provides administrative and operational support for the Connecticut General Assembly.  The office, while implementing the policies of the Joint Committee on Legislative Management, provides administrative and financial services, administers compensation and human resources services, coordinates training and staff development services, and oversees the management and maintenance of all buildings and grounds under the supervision and control of the Legislature.  The Office of Legislative Management ensures the daily functioning of the Legislature for the benefit of the legislators, their staff, and the general public.

Staff

D’Ann Mazzocca, Executive Director
Dana Crompton, Financial Administrator
Jim Tracy, Personnel Administrator
Eric Connery, Support Services Administrator

OFFICE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES

its@cga.ct.gov
860-240-0000 Help Desk
Room 014, Capitol

The Office of Information Technology Services is responsible for the selection, management and support of information technology at the Connecticut General Assembly.  The Office is divided into five areas.

Applications Development

This area develops and supports all applications used in the Connecticut General Assembly, including the Connecticut General Assembly Legislative Information Technology Enterprise Services (CGALITES) Intranet and Internet.

PC/LAN 

This group selects, implements, and maintains the equipment that runs the CGALITES computer network.  This area is also responsible for the deployment of laptop and desktop systems throughout the General Assembly.

ITS Help Desk

The ITS Help Desk is chartered with providing one-stop shopping for computer services at the Connecticut General Assembly.  The Help Desk provides assistance for customers experiencing problems with any aspect of the CGALITES computer network.  During the Legislative Session, the Help Desk is staffed Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM or until the Chambers adjourn.  During the Interim, the Help Desk hours are 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM.

Information Technology Training

The ITS Training Room is located on the west side of the Capitol basement.  The training room is equipped with 12 desktop computers.  The Office of Information Technology offers over 100 courses a year on all aspects of Information Technology.

IT Architecture

This Research and Development group sets its sites on the future of Information Technology in the Legislature.  This area facilitates the integration of all of the other ITS groups in order to maximize productivity and innovation in current and future projects.

Staff

Ronald A. Bianca, Director
Margaret Rutsch, Senior Executive Secretary

OFFICE OF THE STATE CAPITOL POLICE

860-240-0240
Room 1300, LOB

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OFFICES OF THE SENATE AND HOUSE CLERKS

Senate:  State Capitol, Room 305
860-240-0500

House: State Capitol, Room 109
860-240-0400

The Clerk of the Senate and Clerk of the House of Representatives are officers of the General Assembly and are elected on Opening Day of the odd-year Regular Session for a two-year term.  The Assistant Clerk in both houses are also appointed on Opening Day for a two-year term.

The Clerks' Offices are charged with the publication of the Journals, Calendars, Bulletins, Bill Indices, and other documents of the General Assembly.  The Connecticut General Statutes provide that each house shall have a full-time Permanent Assistant Clerk.  The Permanent Assistant Clerk is responsible for the daily operation of the Clerk’s Office.  In addition to the Permanent Assistant Clerk, the staff in the Clerks’ Offices includes a Journal Clerk, Calendar Clerk, Bill Clerk and an Office Assistant.  During sessions, additional personnel are added as necessary.

A bill or resolution is not officially filed until it is presented in proper form to the Clerk in the introducer's Chamber and signed by the introducer.  The needs of the Members of the General Assembly are tended to with respect to bill/resolution filing, indexing, proofreading and storing of the record of all legislation introduced in the Senate or House of Representatives.  Five permanent staff personnel in each of the Clerk’s Offices serve the legislative requests of the 36 Members of the Senate and the 151 Members of the House of Representatives on a range of legislative matters.  Member services also include preparation of citations, co-sponsorship of legislation as well as answering questions on the legislative process in each of the respective Chambers.

The Journals, which are published in accordance with the Constitution and the Rules, contain all of the legislative actions taken on each session day including the text of all amendments acted upon.  The roll call vote on each action in the Senate or House of Representatives appears in that Chamber's Journal immediately following the description of actions on the bill or amendment.  The Calendar is a daily compilation of bills and resolutions awaiting action in the Senate or House of Representatives.  The Rules require that the Journal and Calendar must be on the desks of all members each day.

During regular sessions, the Clerks' Offices are responsible for the operation of the Information and Bulletin rooms.  The Clerks’ Offices oversee the publication of the Legislative Bulletin. The Bulletin illustrates the schedule for legislative sessions, public hearings, committee meetings and other events containing notes of interest to legislators, staff and interested members of the public.  The Bulletin is published daily when the General Assembly is in session.

During the interim, legislative information is provided by the Clerks’ Offices.

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LEGISLATIVE COMMISSIONERS' OFFICE

lco@cga.ct.gov
www.cga.ct.gov/lco
860-240-8410
860-240-8414 (Fax)
Suite 5500, LOB

The Legislative Commissioners' Office ("LCO") serves as the legal counsel to the members and committees of the General Assembly.  The attorneys and support staff of the office are responsible for drafting the legislation considered by the General Assembly and for assuring that it is clear, concise and constitutionally sound.  The office publishes a variety of legislative documents and carries out other duties assigned by law to the Legislative Commissioners.

The staff, in serving the members and committees of the State Legislature:

• Drafts bills, file copies and amendments, and performs related legal research;

• Reviews all bills and resolutions favorably reported by legislative committees for statutory consistency, clarity, and constitutionality prior to final action by the General Assembly;

• Prepares and prints file copies of each bill favorably reported by legislative committees;

• Prepares and certifies the accuracy of the final version of each bill (the engrossed bill) before it is signed by the Governor;

• Provides other legal services to the General Assembly including advice on statutes that govern the General Assembly, advice on legislative rules, issuing confidential opinions of law to members or committees of the General Assembly, construing contracts; and

• Publishes public acts and special acts of each session, codifies the public acts, revises the Connecticut General Statutes, prepares legislative histories and annotations of Connecticut court cases. and biennially publishes the revised General Statutes

Each LCO attorney is assigned to one or more legislative committees and has expertise in the committee’s areas of cognizance.  In addition to drafting bills and amendments, the attorneys advise the committees on applicable state and federal statutes and regulations, case law affecting the committees' jurisdiction, and rules of procedure.  All attorneys in the Legislative Commissioners’ Office are admitted to practice law in Connecticut.

The Legislative Commissioners’ Office is under the supervision of two commissioners, one a Democrat and one a Republican, who are appointed by the General Assembly for staggered four-year terms.  A nonpartisan Director manages the day-to-day operations of the office.  All full-time staff of the Legislative Commissioners’ Office are nonpartisan.

Commissioners

Max Case, Republican
Robert G. Gilligan, Democrat

The nonpartisan Office of Legislative Research (OLR) helps the General Assembly make policy and serve the public by providing accurate, timely, and objective research, policy analysis, and assistance in the development of legislation.  Our major services to members of the General Assembly are committee staffing, research, and legislative analysis.  OLR also maintains Intra and Internet webpages, publishes a periodic informational webzine for legislators called the OLReporter, and issues periodic e-mail updates on selected topics of interest to legislators and staff who subscribe.

Committee Staffing

OLR assigns one or more researchers to assist every standing and select committee except Appropriations.  Researchers help to develop legislation, screen bills, brief legislators on issues, answer questions, and otherwise assist committees in their work.  During the interim between sessions, OLR also works with special committees and task forces to develop recommendations and write reports.

Research

OLR provides research for, and answers questions from, individual legislators and legislative staff.  We prepare 1,200 to 1,300 written reports a year for legislators, answer over 7,500 questions orally and by e-mail, and make oral presentations.

Legislators and staff can access all OLR reports through OLR's Intranet webpage (http://www.cga.ct.gov/olr) or the General Assembly's Intranet home page.  Copies are also available from the Legislative Library.  Reports are available to the public through OLR’s Internet webpage at http://www.cga.ct.gov/olr.

Legislative Analysis

Bill Analyses.  A key part of OLR's charge is to write plain-language analyses of all bills (except Appropriations Committee bills) favorably reported to either house of the General Assembly.  Each analysis contains a summary of the bill's legal effect; a further explanation for those who want all the details; and, where appropriate, background information on relevant court decisions, agency practices, and related legislation.  We highlight any technical problems with the bill draft and summarize each adopted amendment.  Bill analyses are printed on the bill files and are accessible to legislators and staff through OLR’s Intranet webpage and to the public through our Internet page.

LEGISLATIVE LIBRARY

The Legislative Library provides professional, nonpartisan assistance to General Assembly members and staff by identifying, acquiring and disseminating information resources which support the legislative process, by developing and maintaining relevant bibliographic tools, and by educating its users in the research process.  Its Intranet home page (http://www.cga.ct.gov/lib) provides remote access to materials within its collection and to outside resources.  The Library also offers limited assistance to government agencies, other libraries, and members of the public.

The collection includes current and historical Connecticut legislative materials; statutes of the six New England states, New York and New Jersey; federal laws and regulations; case law from all Connecticut courts and the United States Supreme Court; books and periodicals covering numerous subject areas; legislative task force reports, directories and reference tools.  On-line access and training in legal and global databases is available in consultation with library staff.  One of the Library's most valuable resources is its collection of research reports written by Office of Legislative Research analysts.  The library staff indexes these reports for computer retrieval and for hard copy access in the library’s subject files.

The Legislative Library is open 8:30 - 5:00 with extended hours when either House or Senate is in session.

Staff

Legislative Librarian, Susan Southworth
Assistant Librarian, Jennifer Bernier
Library Assistant, Elizabeth Covey

OFFICE OF FISCAL ANALYSIS

ofa@cga.ct.gov
www.cga.ct.gov/ofa
860-240-0200
Fax 860-240-0052
Room 5200, LOB

The Office of Fiscal Analysis (OFA) provides the General Assembly with independent, accurate, and timely fiscal information to assist members in making budgetary decisions and to inform members of the fiscal impact of legislation under consideration.

OFA acts as the fiscal support staff to the committees on Finance, Revenue and Bonding and Appropriations.  The staff reviews and does analyses of the Governor’s recommended budget, including revenues, appropriations, bond authorizations and various federal aid programs available to Connecticut.

In addition to analyzing the budget, OFA also assists the two committees in analyzing the fiscal impact of all individual money bills which may be referred to them.  OFA prepares fiscal notes or fiscal impact statements that are appended to the file copy of all favorably reported bills; fiscal notes are also prepared on amendments.

The office provides information to individual legislators in areas concerning taxes, expenditures and other budgetary matters.  A detailed report on the adopted State budget is prepared at the end of each session.

During the interim, OFA assists in legislative overview of State operations to assure that legislative intent is carried out during execution of the budget by the various agencies.  This activity includes monitoring agency programs and expenditures and conducting in-depth analyses of selected programs.  Also, State revenues are analyzed on a continual basis, and research is conducted on other finance matters such as bonding, investments, tax policy, and the total federal-state-local fiscal system.

Periodic reports are prepared on the state’s current fiscal condition, and long-range budget projections are developed for future years.  Other publications by the office include: Connecticut Tax Expenditure Report, Connecticut Budget and Economic Data, and the annual Fiscal Note Compilation. The office also analyzes fiscal notes on proposed regulations submitted by executive agencies to the legislative Regulation Review Committee for approval.

Staff

Susan Shimelman, Director
Bob Harris, Consultant

LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM REVIEW
AND
INVESTIGATIONS COMMITTEE

pri@cga.ct.gov 
www.cga.ct.gov/pri
860-240-0300
Fax: 860-240-0327
Room 506, Capitol

The Legislative Program Review and Investigations Committee serves as the General Assembly's "watchdog" over the executive branch of government.  The committee is a bipartisan committee of twelve members.  Pursuant to statue the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House, and Senate and House Minority Leaders each appoint three members to the committee.

By law, the committee is charged with the duty of examining " . . . State government programs and their administration to ascertain whether such programs are effective, continue to serve their intended purposes, are conducted in an efficient and effective manner, or require modification or elimination."

The committee is also required to report to the General Assembly and to make administrative and legislative recommendations pertaining to any " . . . inadequate operating or administrative system controls or procedures, inaccuracies, waste, extravagance, unauthorized or unintended activities or programs or other deficiencies . . . " existing in any agency or program investigated by the committee.

The committee may conduct investigations on "any matter" when requested by a joint resolution of the General Assembly or, when the legislature is not in session, by a joint standing committee, or at its own initiative, subject to the approval of the Joint Committee on Legislative Management.

The Executive Reorganization Act of 1977 expanded the committee's mandate include performance reviews of nearly 100 boards, councils, committees and commissions scheduled for termination under the "Sunset" provisions of the Act.  The first complete cycle of "Sunset" was completed in 1984.

Committee Staff

Michael L. Nauer, Director

CONNECTICUT LAW REVISION COMMISSION

lrc@cga.ct.gov
www.cga.ct.gov/lrc
860-240-0220
Fax 860-240-0322
Room 509A, Capitol

The Connecticut Law Revision Commission conducts an ongoing review of the General Statutes and recommends appropriate revisions to antiquated, unconstitutional, and inequitable laws.  The Commission assists the Judiciary Committee and other legislative and executive bodies on specific revision proposals and solicits the expertise of numerous state legal authorities in arriving at its consensus on recommendations.

The Governor, Leadership of the General Assembly, and Judiciary Committee Co-Chairmen and Ranking Members each appoint members to the Commission, which presently consists of one senator, four representatives, two judges, one law school professor, and nine attorneys, and is supported by a staff of three attorneys and an executive secretary.

Commission Membership

Representative Arthur J. O'Neill, Chairman
Representative James W. Abrams
Judge Julia L. Aurigemma
William R. Breetz
Senator Eric D. Coleman
Representative Robert Farr
Jon P. FitzGerald
Robert W. Grant
Representative Michael P. Lawlor
Brendan P. Leydon
Michael W. Lyons
Judge John Maloney
Mary Anne O'Neill
Joel I. Rudikoff
Edmund F. Schmidt
Joseph J. Selinger, Jr.
Professor Colin C. Tait

CAUCUS STAFFS

The majority and minority leadership of each chamber is provided with funding for the employment of partisan professional staffs.  These staffs, often referred to as caucus staffs, are responsible for serving the legislators of their respective parties in their respective chambers.  Among the services normally provided to legislators by their caucus staffs are research, press releases, speech writing, secretarial services and constituent casework.

SENATE MAJORITY CAUCUS

President Pro Tempore
860-240-8600

Majority Leader
860-240-8600

HOUSE MAJORITY CAUCUS

Speaker of the House
860-240-8500

Majority Leader
860-240-8500

SENATE MINORITY CAUCUS

Minority Leader
860-240-8800

HOUSE MINORITY CAUCUS

Minority Leader
860-240-8700

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GOVERNOR'S LEGISLATIVE LIAISON OFFICE

860-566-4840
Room 400, Capitol

The Governor's legislative liaison provides the communications channel between the Governor, legislative leadership, legislative committees, and individual legislators.  The service includes providing information relating to the administration's position on legislation and other issues, arranging meetings with members of the executive branch and assisting in the resolution of certain constituent problems.

Legislative Liaisons

Brenda L. Sisco, Legislative Director
Janine M. Braun, Legislative Liaison
Robert Hammersley, Legislative Liaison