LRI - GCBF Reports

SELECT BUDGET-MINDED RESEARCH

Whenever possible, it is a good idea to assemble a legislative history research report that includes all available source files, such as the author's bill files, policy committee bill files, partisan caucus bill files, fiscal bill files, floor bill files, Governor bill files, etc. These valuable files are not available from the Legislature's free online database or from the limited Westlaw or LexisNexis databases. Such source files can contain valuable information that the courts take judicial notice of. Read more about budget-minded research on our Resources webpage.

However, when budget is a problem, it is not always possible to obtain expansive legislative history materials. Currently, in response to these tough economic times, LRI is offering select budget-minded research. It is aimed at providing you with an affordable head's up regarding the legislative history surrounding your statutory terms of interest:

Governor's Chaptered Bill Files (1943-2003): $50 each: LRI will supply you with an authenticated, digital Governor's Chaptered Bill File for session laws dated 1943 - 2003 for $50. (The sitting Governor's bill files are not available to the public.) The Governor is considered part of the legislative enactment process and these materials often supply a level of detail that the official legislative analyses do not. The courts are especially fond of the enrolled reports by state agencies and correspondence to the Governor.

Bill Versions (1943-1992): $50 each: Understanding how your bill of interest evolved over time in the enactment process can be extremely valuable. For example, if opposing counsel is trying to read terms into the statute that had one time been proposed but were later deleted, you might be able to persuade the court that the Legislature did not intend for the stricken terms to apply. Additionally, Legislative Counsel's Digest appearing on the face of each bill from 1959 forward operate as mini-bill analyses that the courts are quite fond of. (Contact LRI for help in downloading free bill versions from 1993 forward.)

Follow-up: The above two avenues can provide a budget-minded "sneak peak" of what you might expect from a fuller legislative history. After reviewing these select materials, you may find that additional research is justified. If so, you can either do-it-yourself with complimentary, hand's on guidance from LRI (visit our Resources page to read the "Research and Practice Guide"); or LRI will roll the above $50 fee(s) into our standard Custom Research, Core Research, or precompiled Digital Archives research rates. LRI will also match any other comparable research price quote for bills from 1943 forward.