1. What is OLR? How is it Organized?
  2. What does OLR do?
  3. What does OLR not do?
  4. I'm a new legislator, how can OLR help me?
  5. What kinds of research does OLR do?
  6. Can OLR help me take care of a constituent's problem?
  7. What is an OLR research report?
  8. How can I ask OLR to write a research report?
  9. How long does it take to get a report?
10. Are OLR reports available to members and the public?
11. What role do OLR staff play in committees?
12. What is a bill analysis?
13. Can I get an analysis  of a bill or an amendment before it appears on the file?
14. What should I do if I think a report (or a bill analysis) is incorrect?
15. How can I contact OLR during late-night sessions?
16. How can I find out if my bill passed?
17. How can I find out what laws the General Assembly enacted?
18. How can OLR help me keep up with issues, problems, and trends in a policy area?
19. Does OLR help legislative commissions and task forces? 

1. What is OLR? How is it Organized?

OLR is the nonpartisan, nonfiscal research arm of the General Assembly. Its services are available to all members, regardless of party or rank, and their staff. 

OLR’s 20 research analysts and attorneys are each assigned to one or more of the Legislature’s committees, except Appropriations, which is staffed solely by the Office of Fiscal Analysis.  Researchers develop expertise in the issues, laws, policies, and programs that fall within their committees’ jurisdictions. They respond to questions in those areas from all members and can be assigned questions that fall outside of their committee assignments as the need arises.

2. What does OLR do?

OLR staff write research reports to answer questions from members, analyze bills and amended bills, and summarize public acts.  At your request, staff can also provide background materials from other sources, write questions for use at public hearings, attend capitol meetings with lobbyists and constituents, and brief committees and committee caucuses on bills. OLR staff, as well as the staffs of LCO and OFA, also provide an institutional memory.

3. What does OLR not do?

We do not:

• conduct partisan research, such as tracing a member’s voting record
   
• draft bills, although we will talk with you about language for bills and amendments  (When it comes time to draft the bill, you must contact LCO)
   
• estimate costs or revenues associated with a proposal or policy option (you should contact OFA for such estimates), although we will discuss with you fiscal information provided by OFA or other sources
   
• provide legal opinions (although our reports can cite legal opinions from other sources)
   
• conduct research for the media or students’ papers
   
• ask questions or give testimony at public hearings
   
• participate directly in floor debate (although we can help you prepare for it)
   
• attend partisan press briefings or members’ fundraisers.

4. I’m a new legislator, how can OLR help me?

In addition to writing research reports to answer specific questions you might have, we can:

• verbally brief you on issues you want to learn about or compile information from a variety of sources on those issues,   

• brief you on the jurisdictions of the committees to which you’ve been assigned and the issues they will address,  

• draft questions for use at public hearings,  

• accompany you to meetings at the Capitol or LOB with constituents or lobbyists,  

• brief you on bills and amendments.

5. What kinds of research does OLR do?

We conduct research on public policy issues and problems and options for addressing them.  This type of research includes describing Connecticut programs and policies and comparing them to those in other states, describing federal and other states’ policies and programs, analyzing court cases, providing policy options and the pros and cons of pending bills, and summarizing the history of legislation.

OLR staff generally do not conduct empirical research, that is, we do not test hypotheses against evidence we collect from the field.  (The Legislative Program Review and Investigations Committee staff does this kind of data collection and analysis for the committee. Sometimes, though, when specifically asked and as time permits, we will conduct surveys to answer questions about current practices in the field.  For example, how many school boards test athletes for drugs?

OLR staff do not do research in fiscal areas, that is the role of the Office of Fiscal Analysis.  But we will do research that has a fiscal component if the bulk of the research deals with policy or programs.  For example, describe Connecticut’s health care programs for seniors and how much they cost last year.  We will also collaborate with OFA analysts to produce a report that combines policy and fiscal research.

6. Can OLR help me take care of a constituent’s problem?

Yes, in a limited way.  OLR staff can provide you (and through you, your constituent) with a basic understanding of the law or agency practice that relates to the problem, but we will not contact an agency on your constituent’s behalf.  For example, we can tell you how to appeal a Department of Public Health citation for violating a day care regulation, but we won’t call the department to talk about your constituent’s citation.  And  we don’t contact constituents to ask them to explain the problem; we depend on you and your staff to give us the relevant details.

7. What is an OLR research report?

An OLR research report is an individualized response to a legislator’s question.  Most reports are short memoranda (typically 2 to 5 pages).  They state the question you asked, contain a brief summary answer, then a more detailed explanation or analysis of the findings.

8. How can I ask OLR to write a research report?

You can call (ext. 8400) (860-240-8400), write a letter, or email the office or the particular staff member who covers the area in which you have a research request.  Your staff can also contact OLR to ask a question for you.

We can best answer your question if you tell us exactly what you want.  For example, don’t ask for information on guns, ask for a report on the types of guns that are classified as assault weapons.  Staff will help you frame your question so that you get the information you want.

9. How long does it take to get a report?

Usually within two weeks, but the timing depends on your needs.  If you need the answer sooner, we will provide you with the best response we can within your time frame.  If your question is complex or you want a more comprehensive answer, we may ask for more time.

We can best answer your question in a timely way if you tell us exactly what you want.  For example, don’t ask for information on guns, ask for a report on the types of guns that are classified as assault weapons.  Staff will help you frame your question so that you get the information you want.

10. Are OLR reports available to members and the public?

Yes, after they are sent to the requestor, they are posted on the CGA intranet website  for access by other members and staff and on Internet website for members of the public.  They are also available in the Legislative Library under the same time frames.  The name of the legislator who requested the report is removed once it becomes publically available.

OLR staff will provide information on a confidential basis, if you request this.  Please see our Confidentiality Policy.

11. What role do OLR staff play in committees?

We help committee leaders develop agendas for public hearings and committee meetings and screen bills before final action,  attend public hearings, and answer members’ questions at meetings.  We can also brief the committee or its caucuses on issues or bills the committee is considering.

12. What is a bill analysis?

A bill analysis is a comprehensive explanation of a bill’s legal effects.  OLR staff analyze each bill reported to the House or Senate floor by a joint or select committee, except for bills that originate in the Appropriations Committee. Staff also analyze all bills that are amended and sent to another chamber. 

The bill analysis is written in lay language understandable to members who are unfamiliar with the bill or the bill’s subject matter. It is not meant to be a substitute for reading the bill. An analysis generally contains a summary section highlighting the bill’s principal legal effects, which is followed by a detailed explanation of all its substantive effects.  Some analyses contain a background section that provides information, such as court cases or related state or federal laws, to help members better understand the bill.  And some contain a “comment” section that points out problems in a bill’s language, such as internal conflicts or conflicts with other laws.

The bill analysis appears at the end of the file copy following the fiscal note. It is available to members when the file is posted on CGALites. 

13. Can I get an analysis of a bill or an amendment before it appears on the file?

As mentioned above, OLR staff analyze all bills that as they are reported to the floor and after they are amended and sent to another chamber.  We will analyze a bill before it reaches the floor or an amendment before it is acted on if the language you want analyzed is publicly available or you give it to us.  You can contact the appropriate OLR staff person who can either write an OLR report analyzing the bill or amendment or give you a brief verbal summary. 

14. What should I do if I think a report (or a bill analysis) is incorrect?

Contact the author or the office director, Mary Janicki, as appropriate (see our Policy on Revisions and Corrections).

15. How can I contact OLR during late-night sessions?

Several OLR staff members are always in the office when the House or Senate is in session.  You can call us (ext. 8400) from the floor  or a caucus office or email us from your desk. Even if the specific staff member you want is not on duty that evening, one of our experienced personnel will be able to help you.  A legislative librarian is also available on session nights, usually until 10 or 11 pm.

16. How can I find out if my bill passed?

During the last days of the session, bills move so rapidly that members sometimes lose track of specific items that are of interest to them.  Bills on the calendar are merged; bills that never made it to the calendar are resurrected and substituted for file copies.  It’s often a blur even to seasoned observers.

OLR, in consultation with LCO and OFA,  publishes a document that tries to track where bills or concepts originally incorporated in bills that didn’t pass on their own may have ended up.  The “Bill Tracking Report” comes out within a few weeks after the session ends.

17. How can I find out what laws the General Assembly enacted?

OLR produces several documents after each session to describe what laws the General Assembly passed. 

• A Major Public Acts (MPA) report is available within a day or two of the session’s end. It briefly summarizes the most controversial and far-reaching new laws.
   
• A series of topical “Acts Affecting” reports appear over the next few weeks. These briefly summarize (often in newsletter-like prose) new laws on particular topics such as children, education, business, and seniors.
   
• Our  Public Act Summary book (2003 PA Summaries Book 1, 2003 PA Summaries Book 2), which is usually published in the fall, thoroughly analyzes all public acts the legislature passed.  Individual summaries are usually available on the OLR website well before the book is produced.

18. How can OLR help me keep up with issues, problems, and trends in a policy area?

OLR can help you in several ways.  You can subscribe to one or all of the periodic email newsletters staff issue on various policy topics such as education and public health.  These summarize recent studies and newspaper and journal articles in each covered field.  We can also send you articles from various publications the Legislative Library receives.      

19. Does OLR help legislative commissions and task forces?

Yes, at the request of their legislative members, OLR will assist commissions and task forces.  OLR staff can research topics, make presentations, line up speakers, and draft the commission or task force’s report for the members’ approval.