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| Wyoming Legislative Service Office | |
|---|---|
| Name | Wyoming Legislative Service Office |
| Formed | 1973 |
| Jurisdiction | Wyoming |
| Headquarters | Cheyenne, Wyoming |
| Chief1 position | Director |
| Parent agency | Wyoming State Legislature |
Wyoming Legislative Service Office
The Wyoming Legislative Service Office provides legal, research, fiscal, and technical services to the Wyoming State Legislature, supporting work by legislators from districts such as Laramie County, Wyoming, Albany County, Wyoming, Teton County, Wyoming and Natrona County, Wyoming. Modeled on services in states like California, Texas, New York (state), the office interacts with institutions including the Wyoming Supreme Court, University of Wyoming, Executive Branch of Wyoming, and federal entities such as the United States Congress and Government Accountability Office. It plays a central role during biennial sessions in Cheyenne, Wyoming and special sessions called by the Governor of Wyoming.
The office traces roots to legislative support reforms in the early 1970s influenced by studies from the American Legislative Exchange Council and recommendations by organizations such as the Council of State Governments and the National Conference of State Legislatures. Its creation followed debates in the Wyoming Legislature about separation of powers involving the Governor of Wyoming and administrative boards including the Wyoming Department of Administration and Information. Over decades the office adapted to changes prompted by milestones like the passage of major state laws on minerals and resources including the Wyoming Mineral Industry statutes and the modernization of statutes codified in the Wyoming Statutes.
The office is organized into divisions reflecting models in legislatures such as the United States Congress's committee staff: a Legal Division with staff comparable to capitol counsel offices, a Fiscal Division akin to the Joint Committee on Taxation, and a Research Division paralleling legislative research bureaus in states like Minnesota and Vermont. It occupies space proximate to the Wyoming State Capitol in Cheyenne, Wyoming and coordinates with administrative entities including the Legislative Service Commission-style oversight bodies and legislative committees such as the Joint Appropriations Committee (Wyoming). Internal units align with statutes adopted by the Wyoming Legislature setting staff roles and privileges.
The office produces services comparable to those provided by the Congressional Research Service: drafting bills, preparing fiscal notes, conducting policy research, and producing bill analyses for standing committees like the Senate Judiciary Committee (Wyoming) and the House Transportation, Highways & Military Affairs Committee (Wyoming). It prepares legal opinions used in disputes involving agencies such as the Wyoming Department of Revenue and consults on regulatory impacts involving entities like the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. It supports oversight hearings, subpoena processes, and intergovernmental coordination with the United States Department of the Interior on resource issues.
Professional staff include attorneys with bar membership in Wyoming State Bar, certified public accountants with credentials from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and policy analysts with backgrounds from the University of Wyoming College of Law and national fellowships such as those sponsored by the National Conference of State Legislatures. Leadership typically comprises a Director appointed under statute by legislative leadership including the Wyoming Senate President and the Speaker of the Wyoming House of Representatives. Senior staff sometimes include former legislators from districts like Goshen County, Wyoming or Sweetwater County, Wyoming and former state officials from agencies like the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services.
Funding derives from appropriations approved by the Wyoming Legislature during sessions budgeted by the Joint Appropriations Committee (Wyoming), with fiscal oversight tied to statutes administered by the Wyoming Department of Administration and Information. The office’s budget reflects revenue considerations related to state sources such as mineral severance taxes overseen by the Wyoming State Treasurer and is affected by economic cycles tied to industries represented by entities like Basin Electric Power Cooperative and the Wyoming Mining Association. Periodic audits may be conducted by the Wyoming Legislative Audit Office or external auditors certified by the Government Accountability Office standards.
Staff assist in drafting and amending bills introduced in both the Wyoming Senate and the Wyoming House of Representatives, preparing committee reports used in votes and floor debates presided over by officers such as the Senate President of Wyoming and the Speaker of the Wyoming House of Representatives. They prepare fiscal notes, legal memoranda, and substitute language employed during committee markup and floor amendments similar to procedures in the United States Congress and other state legislatures like Colorado and Montana. The office also supports redistricting efforts coordinated with the Wyoming Reapportionment Committee and provides technical assistance for implementation of laws such as appropriations enacted by the Legislative Budget Committee (Wyoming).
The office publishes bill drafts, fiscal notes, and committee analyses that become part of the public record accessible at the Wyoming State Archives and through legislative information systems modeled on portals used by the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Library of Congress. It adheres to open meeting norms applied by bodies like the Wyoming Open Meetings Act and responds to inquiries from media organizations including the Casper Star-Tribune and public interest groups such as the Wyoming Liberty Group. Records are often used by researchers at institutions like the University of Wyoming and advocacy organizations including the Wyoming Wildlife Federation and the Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association.
Category:Wyoming Legislature Category:State agencies of Wyoming